Revenge
by Star Dragon Fire
Summary: There is a prophercy about a Dolphinback who can understand all saurian speech and this is her story.
1. Tempest

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 1: Tempest**

Cherry woke up. Her head was pounding and she knew she had a large bruise on her head. She glanced around confused. Everything was so blurry. Where was she? What? 

The storm… the storm! Cherry tried to stand up but her legs seemed to be getting heavier by the second. She groaned. Now she remembered. The cruise... the storm... passengers... One word came into her head. Evacuate. 

She had to escape. Even now the ship rocked violently side to side as powerful waves pounded it trying to drag it into its watery embrace. She took a deep breath and choked as the acidic smell of burning rubber attacked her nose and lungs. 

Cherry remembered the cruise... how she had been so happy going on a cruise during her summer holidays. And then the sudden storm... lightning bolt had hit the ship. 

The ship was on fire. 

She lurched to her feet supporting herself by gripping the wall. Slowly she made her way to the nearest exit. She wondered if she had to strength to go up onto the deck. Cherry narrowed her emerald eyes and summoned every single bit of strength in her seventeen-year-old body. Somehow she made it. Salty waves slapped her feet trying to send her sprawling. Powerful winds buffeted her body blowing her auburn hair in all directions. She glanced around. 

Lifeboats... all gone... she looked at the surging ocean and gulped. She would rather take her chance in the ocean then die here on this ship. Slipping on the wet surface she made her way to the rails surrounding the edge of the deck. With a final thought and a quick prayer to God she grabbed the rails and flung herself overboard.

Salt water splashed into her eyes blinding her. She struggled to keep afloat as waves swept over her. Cherry stopped struggling and tried to remember what to do. Slowly she began treading water. She struggled to keep her mouth and nose above the water. She took in a few hasty breaths before she was dragged down again. Cherry screamed as salt water flooded into her mouth. She had felt something nudge her foot! 

A shark! Cherry struggled wildly and tried to swim away but something warm slipped beneath her and brought her to the surface. She could feel rubbery skin and she sighed with relief. Shark had hard skin, didn't they?

_'Relax human. Breathe deep.'_

"Who are you?" she murmured weakly as her vision turned black.

_'Sleep... I will take you there.'_

Cherry's eyes closed and she felt no more.

She woke up with a start. Cherry could feel the fierce sun beating on her back. She looked around confused and was greeted with a wide expanse of sea.

"Where am I?"

_'You are at sea.'_

Cherry looked around startled and weary.

"Who are you?"

_'Greetings human.'_

Cherry screamed as a grey creature popped up from the water beside her. She whirled around. A cheerful looking dolphin peered back at her. It suddenly swam on it back, strange noises burst from its throat. Cherry gritted her teeth as her many cuts and bruises began aching from the salt water.

"Dolphin? What are you doing?"

_'My name is Waveride,'_ the dolphin replied rather frostily, _'I'm here to help you. You want to survive... don't you?'_

Cherry nodded tiredly.

"I suppose."

_'Don't worry. I will take you there.'_

"Where's there?" Cherry demanded.

_'The island of Dinotopia.'_

The girl stared at the dolphin as she tried to remember if there was such a place. Cherry sighed, this would teach her not to sleep during geography classes. 

"Dino... topia?" she muttered weakly stumbling over the unfamiliar words.

_'Rest and breathe deep.'_

Cherry was comforted by those strange words and once more fell into a deep slumber. 

She shivered and almost choked as saltwater rushed into her mouth. 

"Wha... Waveride?" she muttered.

No answer. She could see something move beneath her weight and opened her eyes slowly.

"How did I get here?" she rolled over and glanced at what she thought was the ocean.

The dolphin was nowhere is sight. Cherry tried to get up but she suddenly felt very tired. She collapsed back onto the sand and fell asleep. 

Cherry opened her eyes and groaned. She wished she had dreamed all of this and she was still laying on the ship deck relaxing under the sun. No such luck. Cherry tried to get up but it was as if she was paralysed from waist down. Moaning slightly she used her arm so she could sit up. Remembering some of the First-aid she had learnt at school, Cherry began to touch her legs to see if anything was broken. Nothing was broken but she had a few cuts and bruises on them. 

"Now where am I," she muttered. 

Cherry looked around. In front of her was the ocean. She could see nothing but water but behind her stood a huge forest. She wondered uneasily if there were any predators on the beach.

"Don't worry, predators won't eat humans unless they're helpless and wounded."

Cherry winced, which describes my situation right now.

She jumped as squawking filled the air. Birds leapt from the forest and took flight as something approached. 

"What the?" Cherry tried to get up.

"CRRRREEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

"ARRRGHHHHHH!!!!" 

Cherry was nearly knocked down by a strong gust of wind as some kind of winged animal landed in front of her. The huge bird-like creature stared at her curiously. It had a long beak and huge bat-like wings.

It screeched again and flapped its wings as Cherry desperately tried to stand up.

"Nice birdie..." she cooed for some reason. She was shocked when a loud voice boomed in her head.

_'Foolish human!'_ it screeched.

It jabbed at her with its beak. Cherry fell onto her back, she gasped in shock as the beak narrowly missed her head and slammed into the sand. The bird flapped its wings and leapt into the air. It dived at her pecking her with its long beak. Cherry tried to shield her face and screeched in pain and shock as the beak left a bleeding mark on her arm. It was just all too much. The bird swooped in one more time and Cherry could feel the hard beak smashed into her head. Her vision blurred and tears came to her eyes. Her breathing became harsh and irregular. She saw stars and everything went black. 


	2. Reunion

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 2: Reunion **

"26!" 

Karl Scott sighed as his saurian friend ignored his call and continued to race out of the Hatchery. Workers moved out of the way as the now large Chasmosaurus ploughed through the crowd of people standing in the corridor of the Hatchery. Karl easily made his way to 26.  

"What's going on?" he asked Samantha, Marion's younger sister.

"You don't know?" she asked looking at him surprised.

26 honked and hooted and tried to run away again but Karl gently gripped her tail.

Karl shook his head.                   

"I don't."

Samantha giggled, she mumbled something but Karl couldn't hear her.

"What's that?" he asked again.

Samantha caught her breath and began explaining.

"Marion is coming back!" Samantha began laughing again, "How come you don't know?"

Karl merely shrugged his broad shoulders and turned to 26 who was trying to escape again. 

"Stop that," he told her firmly.

26 honked at him. Over the last year and a half, Karl had learnt to understand some of what 26 was saying,

"I know she's coming," Karl informed 26. 

26 honked again and managed to wriggle her way through the crowd. Karl sighed and ran after her.

~*~*~

Marion wiped the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand. She had been walking in the heat and she was feeling hot and bothered.

"How long to go?" she asked the green dinosaur, who picked his way through the rocky road beside her.

"Hmm judging by the... hmm... I'll say about... another mile or so?" Zippo stroked his chin, "I can't wait to see the Matriarch again!"

Marion nodded absently. Her mind was clearly somewhere else.

_'I wonder if Karl is still there,' _she thought smiling slightly.

Right after the sunstone crisis she had been sent to different parts of Dinotopia to survey the damage done by the T-rex and the pterandons. She was only supposed to be gone for two months but for various reasons she had been away from home for one year. She had visited David in Canyon City and she was looking forward to seeing Karl again.

Zippo opened his mouth to speak but was stopped when a loud honking filled the air.

"26!" a familiar voice yelled.

Zippo was knocked over as a large Chasmosaurus charged past him. Marion was surprised to see the familiar dinosaur and was also shocked to see how much she had grown. At first Marion could carry 26 in her arms but now 26 was about the same height as her knees. 26 lunged into her and began butting her head gently against Marion's knees. Marion laughed and knelt down. 26 honked loudly.

"Need help?" the familiar voice asked.

Marion looked over and smiled slightly as he saw Karl help Zippo up. 

"Hello, Karl."

Karl glanced over at Marion and grinned at her. 

"Welcome back," he said cheerfully, "Sorry about 26."

26 honked back at him rather angrily.

"Some welcome," Karl retorted sarcastically back at his friend.

Marion looked puzzled as she stared questioningly at Karl. Karl smiled at her and explained.

"I can understand some of what she's saying."

"That is very interesting considering 26 is still pretty young," Zippo commented, 

"How long did it take you?"

"Zippo, I don't think this is the best place to question Karl," Marion got up as 26 ran back to Karl.

"It is good to see you again," Marion said smiling as she hugged Karl gently. 

Awkwardly Karl hugged her back. They stood like that for a while until Zippo cleared his throat loudly. Both of them blushed as they sprang apart. Marion turned around without a word and walked away. Zippo immediately ran after her yelling at her to slow down. Karl rubbed his head sheepishly and turned to 26.

"What was that?" he asked.

26 honked and hooted with laughter.

"I was not blushing!" 

The dinosaur's face contorted into what could have been called a smirk. Karl sighed.

"There's no arguing with you," he informed.

Another honk met his comment.

"You're right. We'd better catch up."

~*~*~

"Welcome home, daughter," the Matriarch of the Earth Farm smiled softly as her daughter hugged, "I've missed you."

"I miss you too," Marion whispered.

"How's your father?" Rosemary asked.

"He's fine. When I left, he was preparing the Springtime Festival."

Rosemary arched one of her brow elegantly.

"I guess you'll be going to the ball?"

Marion flushed.

"You have to go with a boy," she explained, "Nobody is going to ask me to go."

"Is that so?" Rosemary hid a knowing smile, "I personally know two young men who would be delighted to take you."

Marion looked worried.

"Yes, but I can only go with one. I don't want to hurt the other."

Rosemary looked at her daughter.

"Eventually you'll have to choose and no matter who you choose one will be hurt," Rosemary said mysteriously, "Breathe deep, Marion."

"Seek peace." 

~*~*~

Marion still had a worried look on her face as she exited her mother's room and went off to find Zippo and Karl.

~*~*~

Zippo sighed and started from the top again. It was no use. It was just too loud!

"Stop it!" he muttered crankily.

26 barely looked up from her bowl and honked right back at him. Karl watched with an amused look on his face as 26 demolished the rest of her food. 

"No more," Karl said firmly as 26 opened her mouth.

26 hooted at him and stamped her foot.

Karl laughed.

"You weren't going to ask for more?" he said sceptically. 

Zippo watched the friendly exchanged between Karl Scott and 26. It never ceased to amaze him, that Karl, who use to hate Dinotopia and wanted to leave, would befriend a baby dinosaur and come to love Dinotopia and its ways. Zippo sighed and looked down at his book, the world worked in strange ways. 

Marion walked in and Karl and Zippo exchanged looks as they saw Marion's face.

"Marion, what's wrong?" Zippo hopped off his chair and walked to her fluttering his hands anxiously, "Is something wrong?"    

"Yeah, you looks like your best friend just died," Karl, said looking at her concerned.

 Marion shook her head and smiled, the worried look disappearing.

"Why should I be sad?" she said smiling, "It's great to be back!"

Karl and Zippo didn't believe her for a moment. 

"Come on! Let's see the Hatchery!" Marion said cheerfully as she walked out.

After she had left 26 began honking and butting Karl's leg.

"I know she's hiding something."

26 hooted questioningly. 

"I don't know what but she's hiding." 

~*~*~

About two miles from the Earth Farm a huge flying dinosaur took to the air. The majestic pteradon flapped its wings as the rider on its back hanged onto the saddle tightly. David Scott, the only rider in memory to have ridden a pteradon relaxed slightly allowing his albino partner to take him to where he wanted to go. David smiled as he remembered the reason he was heading back to the Earth Farm. Marion and Karl were there; he hadn't seen Karl for a year. Right. He wanted to go to the Earth Farm to visit his half brother; right... he didn't want to go there so he could see a certain brunette. Marion. She was so beautiful and friendly... she was so... David shook his head and scowled. 

"Jeez, I sound like a lovesick poet," he muttered.

Freefall cawed and David shook his head.

"Don't worry. It's nothing."

Freefall nodded slightly and continued to fly as its partner continued to dream about Marion.   

~*~*~

Karl and Marion were sitting in one of the rooms inside the Hatchery finally giving Zippo some much needed peace. Karl knelt down and put his ear to one of the eggs. He smiled as he heard a tiny squeak coming from the hard eggshell. 

"This one is almost ready to hatch," Karl commented softly. 

He quickly checked the egg and seeing no cracks he moved on. Marion sat back watching him as 26 with her head on her knees, napped. Karl checked the last egg in the room and turned to Marion. 

"You must be getting bored back there," he said softly trying not to wake 26.

"It was pretty interesting seeing you with the eggs," Marion commented.

Karl glanced down at his friend. 26 began moving. She sniffed the air and suddenly sprang up. Karl was too quick for her and held onto her gently before she decided to run.

"What's wrong?" he asked. 

26 honked excitedly and tried to run away but Karl stopped her. 

"What's wrong?" Marion asked.

Karl opened his mouth to reply and was stopped when a huge shout was heard.

"Pterandon!" 

Marion jumped to the window and stared outside. Suddenly she burst into happy laughter. 

"What is it?" Karl yelled over 26's overjoyed honking. 

"It's David!" 

An albino pterandon flapped its wings causing small gusts of wind as it steadied itself. 

Marion spotted the familiar figure perched on the flying dinosaur's back. 

"Guess we better go out and meet him," Karl turned back to 26, "Stop it!"

~*~*~

David dismounted from Freefall and turned to speak to one of the humans standing around. He glanced over the man's shoulder and spotted two familiar figures.

"Marion!" he cried. 

Marion laughed as David approached her. They hugged each other tightly. 

"Jeez, nice to see you too..." Karl muttered hotly, "Where's my welcome?"

David and Marion backed away from each other. 

"Sorry," David smiled and moved to Karl. 

He stumbled as 26 ran excitedly between his legs. 

"Come here 26," Karl sighed rolling his eyes. 26 calmed down a bit and trotted to Karl. Absently Karl put his hand on 26's back.

Marion smiled at the two brothers as they hugged each other. She sighed.

_'Together at last.'_


	3. Outcast

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 3: Outcast**

Cherry was dreaming. She was sitting on her couch at home sipping a can of coke as she flicked through the channels. Strange. No matter what show she switched to they were showing birds. Screeching bird. The screeching was giving her a headache! With a moan she gripped her pounding head. 

"Oww..." she moaned as she rubbed her head.

She looked around and saw she was in some kind of cave. It was cold and the only source of light was a single burning torch stuck into the wall. Cherry rubbed her head and peered outside.

"CREEEEE!!!!"

With a scream she leapt back to avoid the sudden attack. A huge beak thrust into the tiny cave, barely missing her. Cherry gulped.

"Where am I?" she murmured and managed to summon moisture to her dry mouth.

Standing in front of her perched on a rock was a huge flying monster. 

"Who are you?" she asked timidly.

_'I'm Longwing!' _the monster thundered, _'Silence foolish human! You're a  prisoner of the great Longwing! The Master will be pleased.'_

"M... as... as... ter?" Cherry stammered.

Longwing swooped at her and forced her back into the cave.

_'I do not talk to inferior mammals!'_

Cherry ducked as the monster's long beak shot past overhead.

"What are you?" Cherry demanded, "A monster?"

_'Monster? Foolish human I'm a pterandon!'_

"Pt... eran... don?" Cherry stumbled over the unfamiliar words.

_'SILENCE!'_

Wisely she shut up and sat down on the hard ground.

~*~*~

_'YOUR TURN... TRAITOR!'_

Cherry winced as the powerful voice pounded into her head. Where was she? Looking at the cave wall, she remembered.

"Where the hell am I?" 

Squawking filled the air as she heard Longwing roar in anger. What was going on? Cautiously she peered outside and saw another of those flying monsters lying on the ground moaning slightly. 

"Hello?"

_'What do you want?' _the monster asked wearily, _'Just leave me alone.'_

"What's wrong with you aren't you suppose to be yelling at me," Cherry decided to take a risk, "Monster."

_'I'M NOT A MONSTER!'_ the creature snapped, _'I'm a pterandon!'_

"Pterandon?" Cherry muttered, "What on earth is that?"

_'Are you a dolphinback?'_

"My name is Cherry not Dolphinback... umm... what is a dolphinback?" Cherry asked confused.

_'A newcomer... are you a newcomer?'_

"I guess so."

The pterandon sighed.

'My name is Sharpbeak... I'm a traitor...' 

"What did you do?" Cherry asked.

_'Sit down human... it's a long story.'_

_'Dinosaurs and humans have managed to carve a utopia from this island and named it Dinotopia. Certain dinosaurs, like us, have been exiled from the rest of the Dinotopians because we devour living flesh.'_ Sharpbeak looked wistful as he began talking.

'For as long as we can remember we have encountered a barrier of some sort. A barrier, which keeps us away from the cities...'****

Cherry sucked in her breath as somehow an image of a glowing light popped into her head.

_'But about a year ago, this barrier seemed to weaken and dim. It seemed to be failing. Our clan leader, Longwing, urged us to attack to reclaim what is ours. It was foolish... eventually we would be defeated but Longwing thought we could conquer the whole island. Fool... if we only show them our gentler side than we could win their trust. We could be accepted as equals. Because of my unwillingness to battle I was branded a traitor,'_ Sharpbeak smiled bitterly, _'We lost of course.'_

"How?"

'The source of these barriers are glowing stones. I believe humans call them sunstonse. We were defeated by one such stone during the battle for Waterfall City...'

"Waterfall City?"

_'The largest and most beautiful city on this island. The jewel of Dinotopia, a city of learning and wisdom and we sought to spoil it,'_ Sharpbeak twisted his beak into a smile, _'A simple human being and another so called 'traitor', Freefall managed to gain access to a stone and drove us away. Soon after that the Master came.'_

Cherry frowned.

"Master?"

'Little is known about the Master. Only Longwing has seen him...'

"Why is Longwing so... hostile?"

Sharpbeak opened his beak to reply but was stopped when a familiar pterandon dived at him flapping his wings and jabbing his beak at the smaller dinosaur. 

_'TRAITOR! GET AWAY FROM HER!' _Longwing hissed, _'Fool!'_

Sharpbeak whimpered meekly and awkwardly scurried away on his legs into the darkness of the cave.

Longwing fixed his furious glare onto Cherry. The human girl shivered as she saw a kind of primitive savageness in those eyes. 

'You can't escape. You're the Master's.'

With those last cryptic words Longwing turned his back on her leaving Cherry to wonder about who the Master was.

~*~*~

Cherry took a deep breath and plucked up her courage.

"What happened in Waterfall City?" 

She cringed almost expecting Longwing to start attacking her but surprisingly he didn't. Longwing glared at her and turned around.

_'What did the traitor tell you?'_ he demanded.

"Nothing," Cherry lied quickly, "I want to know what happened."

Longwing laughed harshly.

'We pterandons have been harshly exiled for hundreds of years. Banned from having a proper part in Dinotopian society because of what we eat. They kept us away with that damn light of theirs... that sunstone.'

Cherry jumped when Longwing began laughing insanely.

'A year ago that light began fading. FOOLS! How can they hope to keep us away forever? We did what we had to do,' Longwing was beginning to truly scare Cherry, because he was sounding slightly crazy, 'We attacked! It was great! Humans running away from us as we tore their homes and lives apart. We would banish them to dank caves while we feast upon their rotting flesh! WE WOULD RULE!' 

Longwing laughed as Cherry began feeling sick.

_'All we had to do was tear apart their precious Waterfall City, stone by stone. We would triumph! But that fool Sharpbeak... tried to convince us that attacking wouldn't do anything. Pathetic. Stupid fool... we would have done it. We would have become the Masters of Dinotopia if it wasn't for that stupid human and that other traitor, that disgusting, foul, disgraceful Freefall,' _Longwing roared in anger, _'If I get my claws on him I'll tear him apart and threw his worthless carcass over the cliffs. But soon we would triumph... the MASTER will win!'_

"The M... as... ter?" Cherry stammered.

Longwing whirled around.

'SILENCE! NO HUMAN MAY SEE THE MASTER! HE IS GREAT! HE IS ALL POWERFUL!'

Cherry cringed as the powerful voice pounded into her head. Longwing hissed and spat at her. With a giant flap of his wings he threw her into a wall.

'NOW! SILENCE!'

~*~*~

Cherry woke up with a groan and gently touched the ugly bump on her head.

"God... I wish this was a dream..." she moaned as she hugged her knees.

She glanced around. Nothing had changed; she was still in her cave. 

"This sucks," she grumbled.

Suddenly she stopped talking to herself and listened. The silence was shattered as the sound of screeching echoed around the cave. It was followed by the sound of flapping wings.

Cherry braced herself and stuck her head out of her cave. She recoiled in horror as about a dozen of pterandons suddenly landed in front of her.

'Time to die!' one of them said maliciously.

With a screech it leapt forwards. Cherry ducked to the ground and lashed out with her legs. She felt the beak slash her legs; she grimaced but could feel her feet connected with something. The pterandon landed awkwardly as Cherry forced it onto its back. 

'GET HER!' Longwing spat.

Two pterandons immediately lunged for her. Cherry managed to dodge one but the other grabbed her arm in its beak.

'Stop or I'll snap it!' the pterandon hissed.

'Lead her to the Nest!'

Cherry was half carried, half dragged into another cave. The pterandon holding onto her let go dropping her onto a rocky ledge. Teeth chattering Cherry peered over the edge and paled.

"Oh my..."

Beneath her lying in roughly made nests was thousands of screeching young pterandons. She gulped as Longwing landed in front of her.

'Like what you see?'

Cherry didn't answer as she slowly tried to back away but another pterandon landed blocking her path.

'Soon your flesh will feed these younglings!'

Cherry tried to get past the other pterandon but it forced her back with its flailing beak.

'KILL HER!'


	4. Dilemma

Dintopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 4: Dilemma**

Marion turned around in her bed and could feel the gentle morning sun shining on her face. She smiled softly and got up slowly enjoying the silence of the Earth Farm.

"BAM!"

She jumped as she heard something large slam into her door. She stood there with a slight frown on her face until she heard a familiar honk. Smiling she crossed to her door and opened it. 

An excited 26 barged into room honking loudly. Marion laughed softly as 26 almost sent her sprawling as she jumped up to lick her face.

"What are you doing?" she murmured, "Where's Karl?"

26 honked into her face and suddenly leapt off her and raced out into the hallway. Marion heard a startled shout and sound of things falling. She quickly dashed outside and looked around. A young girl around the same age as her was bending down trying to pick up a tray as 26 ran all over the mess she had caused.

"Come here 26," Marion called, trying to sound stern but could barely hide her laughter.

26 honked and ran back to Marion.   
"Here let me help you..."

"Long time, no see," the girl replied with a soft smile. 

Marion almost dropped the tray again when she saw the girl's face.

"Lily!" Marion cried hugging the girl.

"Marion," Lily said softly hugging her tightly.

Marion stood back and stared at her black-haired, blue-eyed childhood friend.

"You've changed! I haven't seen you for at least... "

"Two years," Lily replied, "You went off to Waterfall City last year, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Marion laughed softly, "Sorry, things got a bit confusing."

Lily nodded gently with a faintest trace of a smile on her face.

"What is it?" Marion asked seeing her smile.

Lily blushed shyly and began speaking.

"It's just that everybody... umm... knows... about your..." Lily searched desperately for a word, "Dilemma." 

Marion flushed.

"Wha... wha... what?" she stammered feeling her face go hot.

"There you are 26," Karl's tired voice filled the silent hallway, "Come on! You want breakfast?"

26 immediately sprinted back to her human friend. David emerged from his room nearby and joined his brother. The two young men plus the over-energetic dinosaur headed off to the dining hall.

"Morning, Marion," David called over his shoulder.

Lily looked at the floor as David caught her eye.  Marion quickly made the connection.

"My dilemma? You don't mean my..."

The shy girl didn't answer but nodded slightly.

Marion tried to cover up her blush without success.

"What about them... an... and me?" she choked.

"Only what I've heard."

"There's nothing going on!" Marion protested.

Lily nodded but even Marion could see the faint smile on her face.

"But... ther..." 

"I've got to go," Lily said cutting her off, smiling at Marion's stunned look.

With a final smile in Marion's direction Lily left. Marion stood in the hallway confused. Did some many people know about her... dilemma? She hoped not. Marion shook her head.

_I'll worry about it later when I hear more people talking... if I hear more people talking_.

With that she walked off to the dining hall to join David and Karl.

She's just heard something. It's just rumours, nobody knows. DON'T WORRY IT'S NOTHING!

Marion sighed. She was talking to herself again. She half-listened to what Zippo was saying and continued to argue with herself. Marion had no idea her problem was so obvious. Her father knew about it, the brother's father probably did too and her mother as well. Zippo? Probably but could someone else know? 

She glanced at David who was the only person in the room listening to what Zippo was saying. Karl was busy trying to wrestle a piece of fabric away from 26's jaw. Zippo either didn't notice only one person was paying attention or he didn't care. 

Marion began listening again.

'... it was the first time in our history that humans visited the World Ben...'

She wondered briefly if Zippo was a bit too obsessed with the World Beneath. She stopped listening again and continued to worry about her own problems. 

"That's it! Tell me what you know! How do you know?" Marion demanded.

It was towards evening time and Marion and Lily were taking a stroll around the Earth Farm.

"What are you going on about?" Lily said startled by her friend's outburst.

"Karl and David."

"Oh that," Lily smiled shyly, "I heard everybody talking about how much time you spent with them."

"I was helping them get use to Dinotopia," Marion said defensively.

Lily smiled as if to say she knew her friend was lying.

Marion flushed.

"And when they were off to the World Beneath you followed..." 

"I didn't actually go there."

Lily shrugged.

"Like I said it's just what I heard," Lily tried to ignore her friend's stare.

"And everybody knows you and David hugged yesterday," Lily stopped, "For a long time."

Marion's face went red.

"And than they were commenting on how Karl reacted to it..." Lily trailed off.

"Alright, alright!" Marion protested, half-scowling, half-laughing, "You know about my umm... dilemma... could you... umm... could you..."

"Help you?" Lily interrupted.

Marion nodded eagerly.

Lily shook her head.

"This is your problem. You have to solve it."

"Although I could help you," Lily added quickly seeing the disappointment in her friend's face, "But not now, I've got to go."

"See you later."

Lily nodded and strolled off leaving a frowning Marion behind.

"Who was that girl?" David asked.

Marion almost dropped her cup, as she was startled out of her thoughts.

"What?" 

"Who was that girl?" David repeated.

"She's an old friend of mine," Marion replied absently.

"Are you awake?" Karl laughed, "You seem out of it."

"Out of it?" Marion repeated confused.

"You know? Distracted?"

Marion nodded.

"I suppose I have been."

_Thinking about you two_. She added silently. It depressed her a bit that someday she would have to choose. They were both good people in their own way, both with their good points and bad points. She sighed and set down her cup. 

"Sorry, I have to go, I need to see Lily," Marion got up and left absently bumping into Zippo as he dashed past.

"Karl!" he scolded, "Get 26 out of my room!"

Karl sighed and followed the fussing dinosaur. David sat by himself. An idea formed in his head and he smiled to himself. He got up and left the dining hall.

"I think we should try to figure out who's better... umm... suited to you," Lily began hesitantly after Marion had told her everything, "Let's start with David... what are his good points?"

Marion thought for a while and answered.

"David... umm... he's... well... he's caring, responsible, brave, serious, dedicated, determined..."

"Karl?"

"Brave, good-natured, funny, caring towards most people, friendly, easy to talk to," Marion replied straight away.

Lily nodded absently.

"How did you just come up with that?"

Her friend flushed.

"I've thought about it," Marion admitted.

"Let's think about it, what would it be like if you were... mar... with Karl?"

"Let's see... let's pretend I love Karl more than David..." Marion began.

"... I love Karl more than David..."

David heard those words and could feel a deep pain in his heart. His vision clouded but he angrily rubbed his eyes. 

Marion... his heart ached for her but now it was too late. What had he done wrong? What was it he did or did not do? What did Karl had that he didn't? He had been eavesdropping on Marion but now he wished he hadn't. Marion had chose Karl... over him... David narrowed his eyes. 

'I've still got a chance!'

He repeated the phrase over and over to himself. Even to himself he sounded desperate. Silently blinded by his fury and despair, he slipped away.

"... I really can't imagine myself with either one of them," Marion groaned, "I wish this was simple!"

"Life is never simple," Lily said wisely.

Lily's face brightened.

"The Springtime Festival is coming up, right?" 

"And?" Marion asked.

Lily smiled softly.  
Marion caught on.

"I can't go with one of them. I'm not going!"

"And if one asks?"

Marion's face fell.

"I didn't think about it," she whispered.

Lily hugged her friend.

"Don't worry, it'll all be right in the end." 

Karl yawned and rubbed his eyes. Slowly he got up and slowly moved his legs from beneath his saurian's friend's heavy body. He winced as he felt his legs go numb after being used as a pillow all night by 26. Absently he rubbed his leg trying to get rid of numbness.

"David?" he said sleepily seeing his brother standing in front of the door.

"Are you happy now? You won!" David snapped, barely hiding his rage.

"What?" Karl asked confused, "Are you okay?"

"No! I'm not," David growled.

26 woke up and honked sleepily.

"What are you going on about?" Karl asked trying to calm his brother down.

"Don't act as if you don't know," David snarled angrily. 

Karl stared at him. 

"Is there something wrong?"

"Congratulations. You've won!" 

With that David whirled around and left slamming the door behind him. 26 honked questioningly.

"I don't know what's with him..." Karl replied.

26 hooted and went back to sleep as Karl puzzled over his brother's behaviour.


	5. Escape

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 5: Escape**

'Like what you see?'

Cherry didn't answer as she slowly tried to back away but another pterandon landed blocking her path.

'Soon your flesh will feed these younglings!'

Cherry tried to get past the other pterandon but it forced her back with its flailing beak.

_'KILL HER!'_

Cherry glanced back at the nests of screeching younglings and held off the urge of throw up.

_'KILL HER!' _Longwing ranted dementedly, _'THE MASTER WILL BE PLEASED!'_

A pterandon leapt forward trying to drive her off the rocky ledge. Cherry ducked but another attacked from the side. A third entered the fray and Cherry was in trouble. She lashed out with legs and fists ignoring the pain as pterandons pecked at her.

_'FOOLS! Can't you do it?'_ Longwing leapt forwards as the other pterandons backed off. Cherry gulped as she face the huge dinosaur.

_'Prepare to die!'_

His beak flashed down and snagged her shirt. With almost no effort, he flung her over the side.

Cherry plunged over the side as the younglings screeched hungrily. 

_'NO! I can't die like this!' _she thought, _'somebody! PLEASE HELP ME!!!!!"_

"CRREEEEEEEEEEE!!!"

The youngling's voices were drowned out as another more powerful screech filled the cavern. Cherry felt rather than saw herself hit something. Something with long wings and a long beak.

"Sharpbeak!" she murmured in relief.

_'I'm here,'_ Sharpbeak replied, _'I cannot let you die! You must escape!'_

"I know that!" Cherry yelled frantically, "HOW?"

_'TRAITOR!'_

Longwing pursued them as Cherry held on for dear life. Sharpbeak performed swoops and dives as he swerved around the stalagmites and stalactites. Cherry risked a look behind her and almost let go. A huge flock of pterandons were now pursuing them.

"Can we out fly them all?" Cherry whispered.

_'No. We have to stop!'_ Sharpbeak said wearily.

Sharpbeak dived and landed on a piece of flat ground. With cries of victory Longwing and the rest of the flock landed.

_'TRAITOR! YOU MUST DIE!'_ Longwing snapped, _'AND AS FOR YOU...'_

Cherry gulped as Longwing fixed her with his crazy stare.

_'I challenge you,'_ Sharpbeak said quietly.

Longwing's head snapped around and stared at Sharpbeak.

_'YOU? A WEAKLING?'_  Longwing laughed, _'I'll tear you to pieces!'_

'I CHALLENGE YOU! IF I WIN YOU LET US GO, IF I LOSE...' 

Cherry held her breath.

_'You can kill us..._' Sharpbeak trailed off.  

Cherry stood in fear. Her whole body was shaking. Her mouth was dry and she knew her knees would give way any second. The pterandons and her were standing to the side as Longwing and Sharpbeak faced each other.

_'I WILL WIN!'_ Longwing crowed, _'AND YOUR BLOOD AND HERS WILL STAIN THESE CAVERN WALLS!'_

'FIGHT YOUR SENILE FOOL!' 

Longwing hissed at Sharpbeak.

_'LET'S BEGIN!' _his voice filled with venom.

Without warning both dinosaurs lunged at each other. Their beaks collided as they both leapt forwards buffeting each other with their wings while trying to impale the other with their beaks. Longwing laughed insanely as his beak left a bleeding wound on Sharpbeak's chest but Sharpbeak retaliated slashing Longwing fiercely leaving huge wounds in his back.

_'DIE! YOU WILL DIE!'_ Longwing spat.

They both took to the air lunging at each other. Diving, performing barrel rolls while still trying to land blows on each other. Longwing attacked viciously scoring wounds on Sharpbeak's chest and back. Longwing continued his attack laughing as more blood spurted from Sharpbeak's wounds. Sharpbeak screeched in anger and pumped his wing powerfully. 

'WHAT?!?' 

Sharpbeak managed to fly above Longwing's head and with a fierce jab his beak slammed into his wing. Longwing hissed in surprise and slammed into the ground. He lay there stunned as Sharpbeak dived down slashing at his face with his beak.

'HELP ME!' Longwing cried, 'HELP ME!' He reared his head and roared in pain as Sharpbeak's beak ripped across his eyes. Blood poured from his eyes as Sharpbeak leapt back with a cry of victory. 'I win...' Sharpbeak said his voice low and dangerous. 'NEVER! KILL THEM!' Cherry ducked and rolled as pterandons leapt at her. Her hand hit something and she grabbed it without a second thought. "BAM!" The bone clutched tightly in her hand connected with a pterandon's chest. The dinosaur roared in pain and hit the ground. Sharpbeak attacked from the rear driving the pterandons away as Cherry lashed out with the bone. 'GET ONTO MY BACK!' Sharpbeak yelled. Cherry used one of the fallen pterandon's body as a boost as she leapt through the air. A beak narrowly missed grabbing her. She landed in front of Sharpbeak and hurled her bone into one of the pterandons. The flying dinosaur fell back as the bone smashed into its leg. Cherry grabbed Sharpbeak's back and leapt on. 'HOLD ON!' 

She felt the muscles in Sharpbeak's body move as he flapped his wings. Several pterandons managed to untangle themselves and took flight. Sharpbeak dived as the pterandons followed as best as they could.

'DUCK!' 

Cherry pressed herself as flat as possible against Sharpbeak as Sharpbeak flew under an arch of weathered stone. With a squawk of surprise, one of the larger pterandons collided with the arch and landed with a sickening crunch on the ground below.

It was pure insanity. They were rushing along a neck breaking speed performing dives and rolls as they turned and veered to avoid rocky obstacles.

'HOLD ON!' 

Cherry gasped as Sharpbeak veered sharply to the right. The pterandon tailing him wasn't so lucky and with a frantic yelled it slammed into the sheer cliff face.

"Do you know where we are going?" Cherry whispered.

'Yes, we should be safe soon.'

She closed her eyes as Sharpbeak dived down so that his belly almost scraped the ground. The other pterandons followed closely behind. Cherry tried to make herself as flat possible as Sharpbeak swerved to avoid a stalactite. 

'Almost there.' Sharpbeak said wearily.

Cherry nodded slightly but closed her eyes as the scenery around her blurred as Sharpbeak picked up more speed. She didn't want to think what would happen if they got caught.

'HOLD ON AS TIGHT AS YOU CAN!'

The girl perched on his back almost fell as he suddenly shot straight up as the other pterandons flew under him screeching in confusion and rage. Cherry was almost blinded as she caught her first glimpse of sunlight. With a final spurt of speed Sharpbeak flew through the cave mouth and flew into open air. 

"We made it!" Cherry yelled, "Finally! Sunlight!"

Sharpbeak managed to squawk wearily and landed clumsily on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Cherry asked sliding off.

'I'm exhausted...' the pterandon managed to say before closing his eyes.

"Are the others going to follow us?"

'No, they're afraid of the sunstones.'

Cherry nodded and let Sharpbeak rest as she surveyed the area around them. They seem to be at the bottom of a huge canyon or ravine. She glanced to her left and gasped. Sticking out of the rock was some kind of carved stone. She squinted trying to make out the shape but her vision blurred. Wearily she rubbed her eyes and stifled a yawn. She yawned again and realised for the first time she was exhausted. And her shirt was smeared with blood from Sharpbeak's wounds.

"Poor Sharpbeak," she murmured as she collapsed.

'Wake up... wake up...'

Cherry woke up. She shook the last remnants of her disturbing dream from her mind and stood up.

"What is it Sharpbeak?" she whispered, "Why are we whispering?"

'It is night. We better leave before the other pterandons decide to follow us.'

Cherry nodded and stretch. With a weary sigh she mounted Sharpbeak.

Cherry had the feeling that they were flying over some kind of city as she glanced down cautiously. She gulped. Imagine falling down from here... 

"Don't think about it," she commanded.

'What?'

"Don't worry. I'm talking to myself."

Studded along the rocky ledges were buildings of some sort and small twinkles of light. What was that? It didn't look like fire. She glanced to her left and saw the rest of the statue. She had been right. It was huge. It towered over everything else and the statues were carved into odd shapes. It looked like humans with some kind of animal face. Cherry shivered in the night air and felt her eyelids close. 

'I better keep awake,' she thought drowsily before drifting off to sleep.

"CREEEEEEEEEEE!!!!"

"Wha... wha... what? ARRGGGHHHH!!!" Cherry almost fell off Sharpbeak.

'What's going on?' Sharpbeak asked frantically.

"Jeez... I almost forgot I was flying," Cherry breathed a sigh of relief as she regained her balance.

"CREEEEEEEE!!!"

"What is that?"

'Skybaxes.'

"Huh?"

Two flying dinosaurs appeared into her line of vision. They were different from pterandons and Cherry gasped when she saw two people perched on the flying dinosaurs.

"Riders?" she muttered.

The two skybaxes lunged at them snapping their beaks. Cherry almost fell off as Sharpbeak dived. The two skybaxes wheeled gracefully around and took chase.

'I can't keep this up,' Sharpbeak muttered wearily.

"STOP!" Cherry yelled.

But the riders didn't seem to hear as the skybaxes lunged for Sharpbeak once more. Cherry felt one of the beaks hit her back and barely registered the pain but she could feel her body go numb.

"I can't hold on..." she murmured.

She winced in pain as another beak hit her.

'CHERRY!' Sharpbeak yelled using her name for the first time.

She was falling.


	6. Unexpected

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 6: Unexpected **

"Is there something wrong?" Marion asked.

"No." David said coldly.

Zippo sighed. Something was wrong but what? 

"I'm going to see Freefall," David said shoving past Karl as he entered the room.

"What is with him?" Karl wanted to know.

"I don't know," Marion said defeated, "I asked him but he got angry."

26 honked.

"26 says he seems angry at us two for some reason," Karl frowned, "Why?"

Lily who was sitting at a table sighed.

"I think it's got something with Marion's… um…" Lily thought for a while, "Situation." She added delicately.

Karl's gaze turned to Marion.

"Situation?"

Marion coloured and mumbled something. 

"What?"

Zippo caught Marion's pleading look and jumped up from his chair.

"Karl can you help me with…" the duck-billed dinosaur searched for a lie, "Oh yes! I want to ask you about learning to understand 26."

Karl nodded but his gaze was still fixed on Marion.

"If there is a problem, you have to tell me," he demanded, scowling as he left with Zippo.

Marion's shoulders slumped as Karl left.

"This is getting complicated," Lily noted.

"It is going to get harder before it gets easier, right?"

Lily didn't answer her friend but the answer was obvious. The situation just got worse. 

~*~*~

_'CHERRY!'_

Cherry dimly heard Sharpbeak yell her name but she couldn't move. That skybax must have got her pretty bad. She was falling. She saw Sharpbeak diving for her and wondered drowsily if he was going to catch her. She was so tired. She could feel blood staining her shirt. Wouldn't it be simple to just fall asleep?

_'CHERRY!'_

~*~*~

Sharpbeak dived pumping his wings powerfully trying to reach her. He could see she had lost a good deal of blood. With a fierce screech it rounded on the skybax driving it away. It cost him precious seconds. He sped downward using every single drop of energy he had.

GOT HER! His beak closed around her ripped shirt with the sleeping Cherry in his beak he struggled to stay in the air. Struggling he winged through the air as the skybaxes took chase.

~*~*~

Freefall nudged his friend's shoulder. David knew his albino friend was wondering what was wrong with him.

"It's nothing," he muttered stroking his friend's beak.

Freefall squawked and looked at him. David rubbed his eyes with his hands and sighed.

"I can't understand it! WHY WOULD MARION CHOOSE KARL OVER ME!?!" he yelled.

Freefall watched his friend's pain and rubbed his beak against his arm.

"THIS SUCKS!" David snarled, "Why? Why? GOD DAMN IT! WHY?"

David could feel his anger subside. He sighed. What was the use? Just forget about them and move on. He wished it was just that simple.

"Why him?" he murmured into his friend's ear, "Why Karl?"

~*~*~

Karl scowled.

"You know Zippo? You can't lie very well."

Zippo remained silent and shuffled his feet nervously.

"What is wrong with Marion?" Karl demanded.

"I simply don't know."

"What's wrong with David?"

"I have no answers for you."

Karl scowled even harder.

"What is it with everybody?"

26 honked. 

"I know this is getting weird," Karl replied still staring at Zippo.

Zippo refused to meet his gaze. The dinosaur sighed and sat down dejectedly. 

"I wish I knew as well."

Dinosaur and human sat brooding over everybody's strange behaviour.

~*~*~

David stood up determinedly. He would get some straight answers. If not from Karl or Marion he will ask that girl, Lily. He had to get to the bottom of this. Why did Marion choose Karl?

~*~*~

Sharpbeak sighed wearily. Do those humans ever give up? His wings were tired and it didn't help he had to carry Cherry in his beak. Who knew a small human would weigh so much? 

Cherry stirred but fell back to sleep.

Sharpbeak almost gagged as the stench of Cherry's blood filled his mouth and nostrils. Determinedly he gripped Cherry harder and ignored the pain racking his body. He had to get rid of those skybaxes but how?

~*~*~

Marion walked down the hall. She had spent a restless night worrying about David's behaviour. She spotted Lily who looked like she had got even less sleep than her. She hurried to join her friend but someone stepped from around the corner and blocked her.

"Umm… good morning David," Marion murmured nervously.

"Why did you choose him?" David demanded glaring at her with bloodshot eyes.

"What?"

"Give a straight answer," David growled, "Why did you choose him?"

"I… I..." Marion stammered.

"What was it that he has that I don't have?" David's voice rose slightly.

Several humans and dinosaurs who were walking past stared at them. David lowered his voice and glared at her. 

"Why did you choose him?" he whispered almost sadly.

Marion stared at him confused. David growled in frustration and stormed away.

_What was that?_

_~*~*~_

Cherry woke up and opened her eyes.

"WAHHHH!!!" she closed her eyes tightly.

_'Are you awake?'_

"No, I'm sleep talking," Cherry muttered sarcastically, "Where are we?"

_'Flying away from those skybaxes.'_

Cherry groaned.

"They're still there?" Cherry winced as her whole back throbbed painfully, "Oww…"

Sharpbeak was worried.

_'You lost a good deal of blood.'_

"I know," Cherry groaned, "I feel… drained."

_'Try to sleep. I'll get rid of them.'_

Cherry nodded but didn't answer. She closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

~*~*~

Marion stared at her breakfast. Her mouth was dry and she felt exhausted. She yawned and glanced over the table at Karl and Zippo. Both looked worried and sleepy.

"Breathe deep," Lily said softly as she slid into the chair beside Marion.

Karl grunted but didn't look up as he bit into his bread. Marion yawned again.

"Aren't we all wonderfully cheerful," Lily continued wryly.

Zippo coughed dryly and sipped his tea.

"Are you feeling well?" Lily asked Marion, worriedly.

Marion sighed.

"Umm… Lily... Can I speak to you?"

"I suppose..."

"Alone?"

Lily looked around nervously.

"Why?"

Marion nudged her friend. Lily's face brightened and then a frown appeared. She nodded slowly and the two women left. 

"We should follow them," Zippo commented.

"Too tired," Karl muttered stifling a yawn.

"Where is David?"

~*~*~

"Are you happy now?" David asked bitterly..

"I have no idea what you are going on about!" Karl snapped angrily.

What was wrong with David? He was furious at him… what had he done? 

"Don't act innocent. Is that how you won Marion? By pretending?"

Karl roughly grabbed his brother's shoulder and shook him.

"I have no idea what you're going on about," Karl repeated his voice rising angrily.

David angrily shook off his brother's hands.

"Don't you dare touch me."

~*~*~

Sharpbeak screeched in pain as the skybax drove its beak into his shoulder.

"SHARPBEAK!"  
_'Sorry…'_

Sharpbeak's beak loosened as he began lost consciousness. Cherry felt herself fall and could see the ground rushing up at her. She managed to scream one last time. 

"SHARPBEAK!"

~*~*~

David glared at Karl. 

"Go away," he said coldly.

Karl opened his mouth to yell at him but was stopped when a scream echoed through the area.

"SHARPBEAK!"

David and Karl immediately looked up. David sucked in his breath as he realised that the flying dinosaur was a badly injured pterandon. Karl immediately spotted the girl and gasped in surprise.

"DAVID!" Karl yelled already sprinting away.

David immediately stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Nearby resting in a skybax roost, Freefall perked up. With a powerful pump of his wings the dinosaur took flight. It too saw the injured pterandon and voiced a screech of surprise. 

"FREEFALL! HUMAN!" David bellowed.

Karl who was running to the Farm smiled grimly as he heard his brother yell for Freefall. He just made it inside when he heard a familiar voice.

_'Thank god,'_ he thought, panting slightly.

"One should not rush, Karl," Rosemary said serenely as she walked past.

"Matriarch! There is a pterandon outside!"

Rosemary's face turned to that of surprise as she dashed outside with amazing speed. She looked up at the sky as the skybaxes continued to harass the pterandon. She saw Freefall grab the falling girl and gasped.

"What is going on?" she whispered, "DAVID!"

She saw David's head turned around and sighed with relief.

"TELL THE SKYBAXES TO LEAVE THE PTERANDON ALONE!"

David yelled as loud as he could as Freefall landed beside him and dropped the girl onto the ground. The skybax pilots seem to hear and backed off a little. With a final weary croak the pterandon fell out of the sky. Rosemary had already raced to the fallen girl.

"Oh my poor girl," she murmured as she saw the girl's many scratches, peck marks and bleeding wounds, "We have to get her inside now!"

"We have to get her inside now!"

Cherry heard the words dimly before she succumbed to unconsciousness. 


	7. Awakened

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 7: Awakened**

Rosemary sat beside the girl stroking her long auburn hair. Bandages covered her arms and back where there here been several serious injuries. She sighed. Who was this girl? Why was she with a pterandon? Rosemary knew better than to sit here but she could feel something odd about this girl. Not odd as in a bad way but as in unique. 

"I wish to know your secret," she murmured as she closed the door behind her, "What am I feeling?"

~*~

Her body was on fire. Cherry groaned as she felt her whole body throb in pain. A cool hand pushed a cloth onto her head. Luckily she didn't open her eyes or she would have panicked seeing the dinosaur who was acting as her nurse. She coughed weakly and thrashed around wildly as the Protoceratop nurse struggled to hold her down. Rosemary once again wetted the cloth and gently pressed it to Cherry's forehead. The girl's eyes flickered open before the fever once again took control.   

~*~

 _'What are you doing here?'_

Sharpbeak could barely manage to open his eyes but he opened them long enough to catch a glimpse of an oddly coloured pterandon.

_'Freefall...'_ he muttered weakly.

Sharpbeak closed his eyes and lost himself to sleep.

~*~

Sunlight filled her eyes as she opened them. She blinked but all she could see was blurs. She coughed weakly and shivered slightly as the cool air brushed her face. Cherry began to sit up and...

'CRACK!'

And met with a warm, hard object. She winced as her vision turned black. She felt as if somebody had driven burning knives into her skull. 

"Ow..."

"OW!"

_'What's happening? Is everything all right?' _a young voice asked frantically.

Cherry groaned and rubbed her head. Slowly her vision cleared and she almost jumped as she stared into a pair of laughing bluish-green eyes. 

"Ow... that hurts," Cherry guessed he was around her age. He smiled sheepishly, rubbing his forehead, "Guess that'll teach me not to do that again..."

"Cause if you do I'll give you twice the headache," Cherry snapped rubbing her own head. 

"Oooo... touchy," the teenager smiled giving her a devilish grin.

Cherry had the urge to slap him but was too tired.

_'Guess both of you have thick heads,' _the voice said again. This time the voice hid the faintest trace of laughter. 

"Not funny!" the boy and Cherry snapped at the same time.

"Not funny!"

Karl frowned.

=Wait a minute... how can she understand 26?=

~*~

Cherry opened her eyes. Had she fallen asleep again? And where was she? Cherry braced her elbow against the bed and tried to lever herself out of bed. She bit back a yelp of pain as the cuts and bruises on her body rebelled at her movements. A pair of delicate hands gently clasped her shoulder. 

"What the!?"

"Breathe deep," a quiet voice said calmly.

Cherry sat up and looked at the woman sitting on the bed. This regal woman seemed to send out a vibe of power and intelligence but her features were soft and caring.

"Where am I?" Cherry demanded.

The woman looked at her for a while, Cherry quailed under her calm gaze.

"This is the Earth Farm. I am the Matriarch."

The Matriarch's voice was soft but hid the smallest trace of command.

"My name is Cherry," the girl answered the unvoice question.

The woman nodded.

"My name is Rosemary," Rosemary looked at Cherry calmly, "Are you a dolphinback?"

"I am a newcomer," Cherry stated simply.

"Why were you with a pterandon?"

Cherry stared at her, concerned.

"Sharpbeak? Is he okay?"

"He is fine," Rosemary cut her off before she could ask more questions, "Why were you with a pterandon?" 

"Long, long story..."

"I have time." Was the cool answer.

Cherry took a deep breath and frowned as she tried to remember. It came to her slowly in bits and pieces. Mentally she put them together and began her story.

"It all started a month ago..." Cherry snorted in disgust, "My family has a fair amount of money but not much love. We thought it would be a wonderful idea to go on a cruise around the world to you know... ' to get to know each other better'."

Cherry sighed.

"We had just left Porta Rica and was heading towards the Greek Islands when the captain reported that we many experience some rough weather. My sister was scornful and demanded why we should have to pay so much and not get beautiful weather," Cherry gritted her teeth, "She thought you could just wave her hand and poof! The world would be just like what she wanted it to be."

"It sounds like you don't like your sister."

Cherry shrugged.

"Why should I? She's spoilt and selfish!" Cherry closed her eyes and sighed, "She may not be perfect but she's my sister. We were going to experience some rough weather...."

Flashback 

"Why is the boat rocking so much?!?" her sister wailed.

Cherry rolled her eyes and ignored her sister who was whimpering pitifully.

"Oh my god! This is stupid! We pay over a grand for this and we get this stupid weather," her sister growled.

Having heard her sister complain for the last hour, Cherry ignored her and continued to flip through the magazine she was reading. Her sister opened her mouth to whine again but was cut off when the ship's speakers came to life.

"This is your captain speaking..."

Cherry's eyes widened as she detected a trace of panic in the captain's usually calm voice.

"We're experiencing some difficulties..."

End of Flashback 

"Yeah we had some difficulties alright... huge waves pounded our ship. Rooms were flooded. We didn't even stand a chance. Lightning hit the boat and set it alit. Flames destroyed some of the cabins before we were evacuated. It was utter, complete chaos. I was knocked out and the next thing I knew I was all alone and the ship was empty."

Cherry smiled sadly and bitterly.

"Seems like nobody cared about me."

Rosemary opened her mouth to object but Cherry continued her story.

"I climbed onto the deck and jumped into the ocean. I was tossed around by the wave until I was rescued by a dolphin."

"Dolphins are known to help humans."

Cherry nodded.

"Waveride helped me onto shore but when I woke up on the beach a pterandon attacked me and knocked me out. The next thing I knew I was in a cavern of some sorts."

Cherry continued her tale telling Rosemary everything not leaving out the tiniest detail. When she finished Rosemary sat there digesting what she just heard. She frowned.

"This Longwing sounds dangerous."

Cherry snorted.

"I think he's totally wacko, off the wall, a few sandwiches short of picnic..."

Cherry stopped seeing Rosemary's puzzled expression.

"Longwing is a little..." Cherry groped for a term, "A bit not right... in the head."

"Nonetheless he's the leader of a flock of pterandons."

The girl nodded as Rosemary sat deep in thought.

"Don't tell anyone your story," she said sharply surprising Cherry. 

She stood up suddenly as Cherry stared up at her. Rosemary looked down at her.

"I will not lie to you. This Longwing is dangerous and must be stopped. But we dinotopians are bound by law and honour to be equal and fair to all creatures," Rosemary let out a long sigh, "This is complicated but for the sake of Dinotopia we must bend the rules."

Cherry nodded still confused.

"Breathe deep."

~*~

'Longwing sent you didn't he?' 

Freefall towered over the injured Sharpbeak. Sharpbeak moaned wearily and began slowly moving his wings as he struggled to get up.

_'Answer me!'_ Freefall thundered.

_'I was trying to escape him!'_ Sharpbeak snapped as he finally managed to get up.

'Liar! He sent you to kill me!' 'Stop being paranoid! I was almost killed by him!' 

Freefall glared at him.

_'If you are lying, I will kill you.'_

Sharpbeak gave a saurian sigh. There was no talking to some dinosaurs.

~*~

She opened the door careful not to make a noise. Cautiously she peered outside. Good, no one was around. She had to find Sharpbeak soon. Stealthily she sneaked down the quiet hallway. 

"Now if I could only..." Cherry stopped and a smile slowly came to her face.

Standing right in front of her were two large wooden doors. One of them was slightly ajar. 

Still not believing her luck, she dashed to the door...

"BAM!"

And ran straight into someone. A pair of strong arms grabbed her waist before she collided with the hard ground. Cherry opened her mouth to thank the person who had caught her but the words stuck in her throat when she stared into a pair of burning amber eyes.  

"Aren't you the girl with the pterandon?"

"Umm... yes..."

"What are you doing?"

"Trying to find Sharpbeak."

"Sharpbeak?"

Cherry glared at the boy who glared right back at her.

"The pterandon," she said coldly.

"Follow me."

With that the boy whirled around and stalked out of the doorway.

"What's with him?" Cherry wondered as she followed him.

~*~

 "Sharpbeak!"

'Cherry!' 

Sharpbeak cawed in pleasure as Cherry rubbed her hands along his beak.

"How are you?"

_'Could be worse.'_

Cherry laughed and hugged her friend's beak.

"Glad to see you're okay."

_'So am I, you lost a lot of blood.'_

"I'm fine."

_'Were you sent by Longwing as well?'_

Cherry whirled around and stared into another pterandon's furious eyes.

_'Were you sent by Longwing?'_ the predator said dangerously.

"No way! Longwing tried to feed me to those crazy younglings!"

_'Liar,'_ was the cold reply.

Cherry glared at the albino pterandon.

"Freefall," the teenager said, this time his voice wasn't as cold as before, "Leave her alone."

Freefall glared at Cherry and stalked off towards its partner. Cherry and Sharpbeak looked at each other.

_'I have no idea what is wrong with him.'_

"And I have no idea what is wrong with _him._"

Sharpbeak looked at Freefall and his partner. 

"Something is wrong..." Cherry muttered, "But what?" 


	8. Jealousy

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 8: Jealousy**

"Something is wrong..." Cherry muttered, "But what?"

_'It is not your problem, keep your beak out of it,' _Sharpbeak warned her.

Cherry nodded, not really listening to the flying dinosaur. Sharpbeak sighed and wondered why he had even bothered.

~*~

Karl ran his fingers through his unruly hair distractedly. A deep frown appeared on his face as he continued to wonder.

=How on earth did she understand 26?=

_'Guess both of you have thick heads,' _26 snorted with laughter.

_'Not funny!' _Both of them had snapped at the same time.

26 gently head butted his leg, hooting softly. Distracted, Karl stroked his saurian friend's head. 26 cooed with joy and ran her head against his leg. Karl envisioned the strange young girl. He guessed she was around his age, she was pretty cute with her shoulder-length auburn hair and sparkling green eyes. But that still doesn't explain why she had understood what 26 was saying.

Lucky guess?

No way, she probably didn't even know what saurian speech was.

No it had to be something else...

"But what?" he growled.

Karl would be among the first to admit that he didn't like mysteries. That stuff was for movies or TVs. He liked his world to behave just the way he wanted it to. But if his life had gone the way he wanted it to, he would be now relaxing on a beach in the Bahamas with some ditzy blonde as his girlfriend. Instead he was in Dinotopia fighting with his half-brother for the attention of a girl he would have normally never noticed. 

Zippo was right: life was strange. And so was that girl. 

~*~

"Well this totally sucks," Cherry growled to herself.

She had argued the point that she was feeling perfectly fine but Rosemary and that fussy dinosaur nurse had firmly told her to stay in bed.

Honestly, what the heck did they think she was supposed to do? Stare at the earthen ceiling and admire the shadows on it as the sun slowly moved across the sky? 

She almost wished she was sitting in class right now. 

First she was captured by pterandons and almost killed by them, now these people were trying to bore her to death.

Cherry got out of bed, she had to do something or she'll go crazy!

~*~

With a final excited squeal, the baby brachiosaur ran for the doorway. 

"Dedira? Where do you want the..." Samantha began as she walked into the hatchery.

The young brachiosaur, which was the size of a small German shepherd, squealed in distress as he slammed into Samantha's legs. Samantha managed a gasp of surprise as her legs came out from under her.

"WAH!!!!!" Samantha instinctively stuck out her hand trying to lessen her impact but her hands came down onto the poor baby brachiosaur.

"Oh! I'm sorry! Are you okay?" Samantha picked up the squealing baby gently, "Did I hurt you?"

She stopped seeing the odd angle of the brachiosaur's leg. 

"Is something wrong?" Dedira, one of the hatchery workers, came running into the room when she heard the squealing, "Oh my..."

"I didn't mean to hurt him! It was an acciden..."

Dedira cut her off.

"Jasmine! Get Marion! Now!" she yelled calling for one the hatchery helpers.

Marion checked the tightness of the bandages one more time and smiled.

"He's going to be fine as long as he doesn't try to move his legs too much," she smiled at her younger sister, "Don't worry it's not really that bad."

Samantha smiled at Marion.

"Oh, thank the saurian gods!" Dedira said somewhat over-dramatic, "As for you..."

She turned to look at Samantha.

"It was an accident Dedira," Marion said calmly.

"Accident or no accident it shouldn't have happened," Dedira sighed, "I guess I can't really blame you... if you were anything like your sis..."

 "I think I better go," Marion told Dedira coldly. Her voice became warmer, "Don't blame yourself Samantha."

Marion stood up and walked out calmly before she did something she would regret.

Samantha stood shocked for a second.

=More like her sister?=

She ran the back of her hand over her face as tears flooded into her eyes. 

"Samantha? Sorry, I didn't mean to say that..."

Samantha looked up and shocked them both by smiling.

"Don't apologise for telling the truth," her voice broke sharply.

Suddenly she burst into the tears and ran down the hallway as sobs wracked her body.

=I didn't mean to hurt anyone! It was an accident!= she thought bitterly as she continued running.

'BAM!'

She suddenly collided with someone but didn't even bother to look back.

"Hey! What's wrong?" an unfamiliar voice yelled, "STOP!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!" Samantha wailed as she continued running. 

She burst outside and fell to her knees as more tears poured down her face. She hated Marion! Marion gets all the attention: she's so smart and she helped save Dinotopia. It was always Marion, Marion, Marion! It was never her. She was unseen, unnoticed... she was unwanted. 

~*~

Cherry picked herself up and winced as the cuts on her back throbbed painfully. Who was that girl? And why was she crying? 

"Okay, why is everybody in this place acting so weird?" she muttered.

First it was that boy and that pterandon, Freefall and now this strange little girl. Cherry shook her head and walked off. First she had to find Sharpbeak.

~*~

Freefall glared at Sharpbeak, his eyes cold and he could barely keep the fury out of his voice.

_'Stop pretending you don't know... Longwing wants me back doesn't he?'_

Sharpbeak sighed.

_'Yes, he wants you back so he could kill you,'_ Sharpbeak snapped, finally out of patience.

_'So you do admit that you came here to take me back! I knew it!' _the albino pterandon crowed.

Sharpbeak clacked his beak together, the pterandon version of gritting your teeth. He was about to snap back when a familiar voice called.

"SHARPBEAK!"

~*~

Cherry laughed and ran to Sharpbeak. Ignoring Freefall's glare, Cherry rubbed her friends beak.

_'What are you doing here? You are supposed to be recovering!'_ Sharpbeak snapped.

Cherry snorted.

"They were trying to bore me to death! So rather then going nuts I came here to see you."

_'Oh how sweet,'_ Freefall drawled.

_'Watch it Freefall,'_ Sharpbeak growled.

Freefall turned to the girl.

_'Who are you and what do you want?'_

A pair of emerald eyes met his glare.

"Why do I have to tell you?" she snapped rudely.

Freefall was about to snap back when he heard his master's voice. Cherry winced as the sound of arguing reached her ears. Her head pounded and she rubbed her temple ruefully.

=So, okay maybe I should have rested more.=

But she had to find out who was arguing.

~*~

"Oh bull!" Karl snapped at his half-brother, "I have no idea what you are going on about!"

Humans and dinosaurs alike rushed past trying not to stare at the two arguing teenagers.

"I'm not stupid! I can see what's happening!" David snarled.

"When you must be delusional to think there is something going on!"

26 chirped in distress and struggled to push the two boys apart.

"Not now!" Karl thundered.

David grabbed a fistful of his brother's shirt.

"Oh, that's really sweet. If only Marion could see this side of you."

"What the hell are you going on about?" Karl demanded.

David didn't answer but tightened his hold on his brother.

"You know what I'm going on about!"

"I have no idea what the hell you're going on about!"

Karl began to lose to his temper and was ready to punch his brother in the face.

"Whoa! Break it up!"

The strange girl stood between them holding David's arms back. 

"Get lost!" Karl and David yelled.

"I'm not going until both of you stop trying to kill each other," the girl said firmly.

David let go of his brother and stalked away. The girl turned to Karl and eyed him curiously.

"What's going on?"

~*~

Karl sat across from the girl and sighed.

"So... what's your name?"

"Cherry," the girl said promptly, "And your's?"

"Karl Scott."

Cherry nodded absently.

"What's going on with your... umm..."

"Brother?"

"Brother!?!"

Karl smiled at the girl's shock.

"We don't look alike do we?"

"No, not at all," Cherry stopped and took a breath, "What's with him?"

"Don't know," Karl shrugged, "He used to be okay but now something's wrong with him."

"And you have no idea what?"

"Nada," Karl stopped, "That mean's..."

"I know what is means!"

Karl stared at her.

"Do you come from the outside world?"

"Sure do."

Karl took a breath and asked the questioning he had been wondering about.

"How do you understand saurian speech?"

Cherry stared at him.

"What do you mean?"

~*~

A small triceratops laughed and ran up to her friend.

"Oh, hello Linkar," Samantha said dolefully. 

Linkar gave a questioning whistle. Samantha sighed.

"I really hate this... I really hate her." The little girl picked up her triceratops friend.

"I mean I really respect and admire her... it's just that.... it's just that..." Samantha stopped, "Nobody notices me. They know me as Marion's sister... that's it. I'm just a nobody..."

~*~

Cherry had a frown on her face as she petted Sharpbeak's beak.

_'What's wrong,'_ Sharpbeak asked.

"I don't know. I talked to Karl..."

_'Who?'_

"Freefall's rider's brother," Cherry glanced at Freefall," Freefall's rider, David, is acting really weird and nobody knows why."

Freefall pretended not to listen as he ran preened his wings with his beak.

"David seems almost... jealous of Karl but nobody knows why," Cherry sighed, "He seems sad and depressed. Everybody tries to help him but he pushes everyone away."

Freefall cocked his head and listened intently. Sharpbeak peered at the albino pterandon. 

_'Are you sure nobody knows?'_

Cherry nodded.

"Yeah, Karl told me that."

Freefall surprised them all by gently tapping his beak on Cherry's shoulder.

_'Perhaps I can help.'_

Cherry blinked in surprise as she stared at Freefall.

"What do you know?" she finally asked finding her voice.

Freefall stared at her for a while and closed his eyes. He remembered to what David had told him a few days ago.  

~*~ Flashback 

Freefall was worried. He knew something was wrong. Gently he nudged his rider's shoulders.

"It's nothing," David muttered stroking his friend's beak.

Freefall squawked and looked at him. David rubbed his eyes with his hands and sighed.

"I can't understand it! WHY WOULD MARION CHOOSE KARL OVER ME!?!" he yelled.

Freefall watched his friend's pain and rubbed his beak against his arm.

"THIS SUCKS!" David snarled, "Why? Why? GOD DAMN IT! WHY?"

David could feel his anger subside. He sighed. What was the use? Just forget about them and move on. He wished it was just that simple.

"Why him?" he murmured into his friend's ear, "Why Karl?"

End of Flashback 

~*~

"But Marion never did choose," Cherry whispered.

She stopped.

"Unless... unless he got the wrong idea about something..." 

Cherry took a breath. There was someone she had to see.


	9. Visitors

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 9: Visitors**

"What do you want?" David snapped as he began to walk away.

Marion grabbed his arm.

"David, please listen to me!" she pleaded.

David glared at her.

"What do you have to say?" he snapped crossing his arms.

Marion took a deep breath.

"David," she began, "I know you think I chose Karl over you..."

David stopped scowling and looked at her in amazement.

"Well, I didn't! You must have overhead me and Lily talking about you and Karl," Marion stopped, "I'm still confused... I don't know what to do anymore." She concluded helplessly.

David stood stunned Marion hadn't chosen Karl? His anger left him rapidly as he realised the fool he had been. Suddenly he realised something.

"How did you know I thought you chose Karl?" he asked.

Marion stared at him, blinking in surprise.

"I didn't know," she said, "Karl told me."

They stared at each for a moment. 

Karl? How did Karl know what he had been thinking? A lucky guess maybe? He hadn't told anybody he had thought Marion chose Karl... he sucked in his breath. He had told Freefall. Even if Freefall did tell Karl, how could Karl understand Freefall's saurian speech?

He had to talk to his brother... soon.

~*~

Marion waited patiently as her mother turned around gracefully.

"Marion," her mother acknowledged, "I want you to help the new dolphinback become accustomed to our daily life."

Marion nodded and turned to leave. 

"You will find this dolphinback different to all the others on this island," Rosemary saw Marion's confusion and took a deep breath, "With time you'll understand what I'm talking about."

~*~

Cherry growled under her breath and reined in her urge to snap at the nurse, who continued to fuss over her.

"Are you sure you are completely healthy and fit?"

"Yes, I am! Can I go now?" Cherry snapped finally out of patience.

The nurse sniffed and answered huffily.

"You'll find your guide outside."

Cherry resisted the urge to groan. Great. Now she was going to be babysitted by another person. Just great. She stalked to the door and swung it open. She opened her mouth to tell her 'guide' to leave her alone when she caught sight of two familiar faces. 

Three humans and hang on... what the...

Cherry choked and blinked confused.

She must be going hallucinating or something...

"How did you find out that I thought Marion chose you?" David asked his brother, confused, "I only told Freefall that!"

Karl smirked at his brother and opened his mouth to say something but a brunette-haired girl standing with the two brothers noticed Cherry was standing at the door and coughed loudly. David stopped talking to his brother and turned to stare at her.

"You're that girl..."

"Her name is Cherry," Karl told his brother smugly at his half-brother.

Cherry took no notice of either of them. Instead her attention was fixed on the strange creature standing next to the girl. It appeared to a reptile of some sort. It was green in colour with a bill-like mouth. It smiled at her as its eyes studied her with intelligence.

"Hello Cherry, my name is Marion," the brunette haired girl said politely, "I hope you are well?"

Cherry knew that she must be Marion after suffering through Karl's vivid description of the girl.  Cherry nodded dumbly still staring at the creature, her mind working furiously trying to figure out what she was seeing.

"As you already know these two are David and Karl," the girl's voice was soft but refined, "I will help you become accustomed to the Dinotopian way of life."

Listening to her calm voice and looking at the warm smile on her face, Cherry managed to switch her attention away from the creature.

She was sure of it. It was a dinosaur, but how? Didn't dinosaurs died millions of years ago? How could one be standing right there staring at her with a small smile of its scaly face?

=Says the girl who is friends with a pterandon= she thought ironically.

But that didn't help her cope with her shock.

"Oh, don't worry Zippo is harmless," Marion told Cherry with a warm smile, "Do you want to tour the farm today? Or would you rather rest?"

_'Better do it now so the boys can get back to fighting over Marion,'_ a strangely familiar voice commented.

"Nobody asked you!" Karl snapped

The dinosaur sulked as Cherry stared down at her.

"Yo.. you.. you were in my room the other day..." she stammered.

_'I sure was,' _the small dinosaur said smugly sounding strangely like Karl.

"Bu... but... that's impossible... this is impossible.."

"That dinosaurs are alive?" David asked with a small smile, "Don't worry you'll get use to it."

_ 'If she doesn't get eaten by something,' _26 added evilly.

Cherry shivered thinking of her close encounter with Longwing.

"Let's hope, I don't." 

Zippo stared at the dolphinback for a while until his scaly face lit up.

"You can understand saurian speech!" he suddenly exclaimed.

Cherry stared at him in shock.

"He... he... ca... can speak English?" Cherry stammered.

"Zippo is one of few dinosaurs that can speak English," Marion informed her.

"I can't believe you can under... this is incredible!" Zippo spluttered excitedly.

Cherry took a step back half-afraid of this crazy dinosaur.

"Zippo, please I don't think this is the best time for it," Marion smiled at Cherry.

Zippo nodded.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I wasn't thinking. I'll go research this... this is quite extraordinary..."

With that Zippo left leaving behind a slightly unnerved teenaged girl.

 "Perhaps we should start from the beginning..." Marion told her warmly.

~*~

"Master Oonu, thank you for coming at such short notice," Rosemary said softly.

Oonu bowed.

"This special matter needs my personal attention," Oonu straightened, "I have also brought Cadet Romana along with me." 

Romana bowed, her blonde hair reflecting the fire burning in the hearth. Rosemary nodded.

"David would be please to see you," she commented as Romana flushed, "But I'm afraid this matter must be kept secret at all cost."

Both Romana and Oonu nodded. 

"What is so urgent?" Oonu asked getting straight to the point.

Rosemary took a breath and repeated what Cherry had told her.

"Cherry believes that Longwing is mad and will do anything to destroy Waterfall City and kill its inhabitants," Rosemary's gaze was calm as she stared at the skybax riders, "As abhorrent as it may seem perhaps war with the pterandons is not that far off." 

 "Where is this girl?" Oonu asked.

Rosemary stopped for a moment.

"I believe my daughter is with her," Rosemary gave a small smile, "They are probably at the skybax roosts."

Oonu nodded his thanks. Rosemary stared at the retreating backs and sighed. Dinotopia was plunged back into danger and perhaps this time it won't pull through...

~*~

"So, you mean that somehow the dinosaurs managed to survive through the great extinction and have managed to create a utopia right here?" Cherry asked.

Marion nodded, waiting for Cherry to start protesting or questioning her sanity. She wasn't disappointed.

"But that's impossible..."

Marion smiled.

"Look around you. What do you see?"

Cherry looked around and stared in astonishment seeing dinosaurs and humans work together. A triceratops honked loudly as its human partner loaded a bale of hay onto a cart, which was harnessed to the dinosaur. The powerful dinosaur lumbered forwards dragging the cart forward. Cherry whirled back to Marion.

"But how?"

"It is quite amazing really... you see according to the Outside world dinosaurs aren't very intelligent however this is quite untrue..." 

"CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!" 

Karl and Marion winced as a loud screech filled the air. 26 honked in distress and attempted to block her 'ears'. David continued walking, he was used to pterandon's screeches by now, Cherry forgot all about Marion and the history of Dinotopia as she dashed forwards recognising the voice.

"Hey, Sharpbeak!" she called cheerfully as she caught sight of her saurian friend. Sharpbeak rubbed his beak against her cheek in greeting as Freefall appeared from the shadows. 

"Thanks for helping me solving David's problem," she murmured softly to the albino pterandon.

_'I wanted to help my friend,'_ Freefall said, its voice almost... Cherry blinked. Friendly?!? _'Thank you for helping him.'_

"No problem," she nodded.

_'His been acting like that ever since you went off to talk with Karl about David's behaviour,'_ Sharpbeak said with a faint saurian smile on his face.

Cherry nodded still a bit stunned. The other times she had come in contact with Freefall, he had been bitter, cold and suspicious. Well, it was a big improvement from his previous behaviour, it was still a bit unnerving.

She heard David's soft breathing behind her but didn't bother to turn around. She stroked Sharpbeak's beak as the pterandon closed his eyes and almost purred with pleasure. She could hear Freefall greeting David. 

"Breathe deep, David," an unfamiliar voice came from behind her.

Cherry whirled around and stared at the blonde girl standing at the door of the roost. She wore the same uniform as David and Cherry had the distinct feeling that this girl was not one to mess with.

"Fly high, Romana," David replied softly.

Freefall was staring intently at the stranger as Sharpbeak gave a questioning squawk. Romana turned to Cherry.

"Hello, I believe you are the girl who was kept captive by the pterandons," she said softly, "I'm guessing it wasn't the best way to be introduced to Dinotopia?"

Cherry shrugged self-conscious as everybody looked at her curious.

"It could have been worse," she muttered stroking Sharpbeak's beak, which was resting on her shoulder.

"And is that the pterandon who helped you escape?"

_'I am,' _Sharpbeak answered for himself. 

Romana barely blinked as she continued her questions.

"I've been informed that there is... unrest amongst the pterandons. Is that true?"

Cherry glanced up at Sharpbeak. Their gazes met as they spoke as one.

"Longwing."

Freefall tensed.

_'Longwing,'_ he spat as though the word itself left a bitter taste in his mouth.

"Who?" Romana and David asked curious.

The trio muttered the word ominously and with a measure of fear.

"Longwing." 

"Sir, they seem to have mentioned something or someone called Longwing," Romana reported.

Rosemary remained silent as Oonu frowned.

"Sounds like a pterandon name to me," he noticed the Matriarch's silence, "Matriarch?"

"Cherry told me something in confidence," Rosemary began, "I'm reluctant to reveal such information but I will answer your question. Yes, Longwing is a pterandon. A leader of a flock in fact however that is all I'm willing to say."

Oonu nodded his head as Romana bit her lip.

It wasn't very hard to come to a conclusion. This Longwing was dangerous. He was a threat.

She shivered remembering the sight of thousands of pterandons descending on a helpless Waterfall City. One did not forget things like this. If there was to be a repeat of last years event...

=May the Saurian gods help us=


	10. Stranger

Dintopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 10: Stranger**

David frowned and shook his head trying to get rid of the image playing in his head.

It must have been something very terrible to instil such terror in Cherry, Sharpbeak and Freefall. The three seemed to be afraid of very little but Longwing had shaken them to their cores.

"Longwing," he said softly testing the word, "Longwing..."

A knock on his door interrupted his musing.

"Come in!" David called standing up.

The door opened revealing Romana still dressed in her Skybax Corp uniform.

"Umm... David?" Romana began nervously, "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course. Sit down..."

"No, can I talk to you outside? It's important."

"So let me get this straight. Dinosaurs living on this island somehow managed to survive the big extinction and has been thriving here along with humans for over millions of years in a perfect utopia," Cherry stopped, "Wow."

"But that is not all," Marion pressed on, "there are some plant life that only exists on Dinotopia and nowhere else. Unique elements are also only found here." 

"Sunstones..."

The two young women were sitting in Zippo's study with Marion still teaching Cherry about Dinotopia and its way of life.

"How did you know?" Marion asked curious.

"Sharpbeak told me."

Marion nodded. 

"As you may or may not know. The sunstones are very important to us. They create light but there more importantly is their ability to deter carnivores."

"Why deter?" Cherry asked frowning, "Wouldn't it be easier to just kill them altogether? I know from Sharpbeak what happened last time the sunstones failed."

As soon as the words came from her mouth Cherry knew she had said something wrong. Marion looked at her in shock.

"No," Marion said softly. 

"No." Her voice became stronger. 

"It is against our laws to harm another anyway we do not create weapons in Dinotopia. One of the codes to Dinotopia is that weapons are enemies even to their owners. Yes, the sunstones failed last year but all the harm has been undone."

Cherry personally thought it was naive of the Dintopians to think that the sunstones would stop the carnivores. Hadn't Sharpbeak passed through the sunstones in the canyons? She remembered what the pterandon had told her shortly after passing through the stones.

=We pterandons fear sunstones because these stones appear many times in our legend as weapons capable to wiping us out. Fear stops us from entering cities with sunstones. But if Longwing's flock ever rid of their fear then...= Sharpbeak had left the sentence hanging in the air.

Cherry shook her head and wished that she had the same belief in the sunstones as Marion.

=If the pterandons ever rid of their fear...=

~*~

Linkar gently dug her horn into her human friend's leg. Samantha placed her hand on the young triceratops's head as she wiped the tears from her eyes with the other. Linkar snuffed wetly and tried to comfort the weeping girl.

The last few days had been hard, when she was in the company of the outside world she had tried her best to be her normal happy, cheerful self but inside she was hurting. She just wished she could get away from all of this. Go somewhere where people would actually see her for who she really was. Not just Marion's younger sister. If she did leave it wasn't like anybody would miss her.  

A small smile emerged onto her face. For the first time in weeks she smiled. Samantha took a deep breath and made up her mind. She was leaving for good.

~*~

Romana sat down beside David and the two stared up at the night sky. An uncomfortable silence filled the cool night air.

Romana remained silent, going over and over again in her head what she wanted to say.

"Umm... Romana what did you want to tell me?" David asked breaking the silence between them.

The blonde-haired skybax rider looked up into David's calm amber eyes and couldn't help but blush.

"Romana?"

Plucking up her courage, she took a deep breath and plunged into speech hurriedly.

"David, well I first met you I was amazed because you were one of the few dolphinbacks who have come and train with the Skybax Academy. I've grown to respect you because of your courage, skill and determination and we've developed a powerful friendship. But..." Romana took a deep breath, "But I feel that our fri..."

A loud squawk overhead overpowered Romana's voice as both Skybax riders looked up. The parrot-like messenger bird let out another squawk and landed somewhat awkwardly onto the ground in front of them.

"This is a message from Petal the proceratops to Romana, the Skybax rider," the bird announced.

David frowned.

=Petal?= he had never heard Romana mention that name before.

"What's the message?" Romana asked as worry creased her face.

"Petal says that her father is ailing. He requests a visit from his dear friend," the bird closed its beak and studied Romana carefully waiting for a reply.

David noticed Romana's face had paled slightly. Suddenly she grabbed his arm and held it tightly as tears began trailing down her face.

"Romana?" he asked gently, "What's wrong."

"I want you to send a reply message, say Romana is coming," Romana said quietly.

The bird-like dinosaurs nodded and took flight as Romana stood up hurriedly.

"Romana?" David asked again.

"I've got to go... now," Romana looked at David and whispered softly, "Sorry."

With that she dashed off leaving behind a very confused David. 

~*~

Sharpbeak looked up his eyes gleaming with curiosity as he studied the young woman who was obviously in much distress.

What was her name again? Ah. Romana, that was it.

She bustled around hurriedly inside the skybax pen as she saddled up her skybax, Stratus.

Then it itself was curious. Pterandons' and skybaxes' had terrible vision at night only a skilled or foolish rider would fly at night. Freefall woke up in the nest beside his and looked up just in time to see Romana climb on Stratus's back.

_'Romana?' _Freefall asked, _'What are you doing?'_

Romana easily understood Freefall's screeches and squawks and looked at him sadly.

"I've got to go. A dear old friend of my father is sick."

'Is this friend going to die?' 

"I don't know. Maybe... maybe not."

Freefall bobbed his head as if nodding to Romana.

_'Be careful.'_

"Thank you," Romana whispered softly to Stratus as the skybax flapped its wings experimentally.

_'Breath deep.'_

"Fly high."

With that Stratus took off into the night sky.

~*~

Karl stuck his hand in his pockets and whistled softly. 26 honked excitedly and dashed straight at her 'father', her feet skidded on the slippery tile and she rammed right into his legs almost tripping him over. 

"Watch it!" Karl said half-laughing as he bent over to help the infant dinosaur up.  

26 honked in reply and began butting her head into his knees.

"Hungry huh?"

Karl laughed at 26's reply and scooped her up.

"Let's see what we can find okay?" he said carrying 26 to the kitchens.

26 squirmed in his hands and honked happily. Karl let go of the squirming youth as she jumped to the ground and sped off.

"Careful you don't knock into someone!" Karl called.

Karl smiled to himself and followed his young charge at a slower pace. He walked past the front door humming one of his favourite songs to himself.

"Creeee.... EAK!"

An ominous creak filled the empty hall as Karl whirled around. The heavy wooden door was slowly opening.

"Who's there?" he called.

The door stopped moving. Karl heard the distinct sound of footsteps running away and immediately he sprinted to the door. Flinging it open, he managed to catch a glimpse of a person clad in a dark cloak before he or she ducked behind a building.

"Okay... that was weird..." he muttered.

Why would anybody be sneaking around? And what for? Karl shrugged and put it out of his mind. It was probably nothing. And 26 was still waiting to be fed... with a final shrug Karl headed to the kitchens.

~*~

"I'm leaving," Samantha told Linkar as she stuffed some of her clothes into a bag, "I'm going somewhere where I'm actually wanted."

With a final determined scowl she stuffed her last piece of clothing into the bag. Angrily she wiped the tears from her face and stood up.

"Goodbye Linkar, don't worry about me. I'll be fine," Samantha managed a teary smile as she opened her door, "Goodbye."

She closed the door softly. Linkar stood staring in shock at the closed door, suddenly she reared her head and a long mournful trill burst from her throat. Pain and grief tore into Samantha's heart as she heard her friend's desolate cry. She gritted her teeth and forced herself to walk away.

"Bye Linkar..." 

~*~

Samantha looked around carefully making sure nobody was around. Seeing nobody she walked into the warm spring air and took one final look at her home as she said goodbye for one last time.  

"Little girls shouldn't be out at this time of the day," a soft voice said behind her.

Samantha whirled around and stared in shock at the cloaked figure towering over her.

"Wh... ho... are yo... you?" she stammered looking around for help.

She managed to let out a piercing scream before a gloved hand slapped over her mouth.

"You're coming with me." 

Samantha struggled fiercely as the stranger tightened his grip on her shoulder. A strange scent assaulted her nose as she felt her eyelids beginning to droop.   

=_No I've got to keep awake!= _she thought desperately.

With that her senses succumbed to oblivion. 


	11. Confusion

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 11: Confusion**

Cherry spotted a familiar face in the busy dining hall and immediately made a beeline towards him.

"Morning David," she told him happily as she sat down, "Where's everybody else?'

David looked up at her.

"Don't know. Zippo and Marion are in their rooms and I think Karl is in the farms."

Cherry nodded and began eating as David sighed. Cherry looked up as she heard the sigh and saw the familiar signs of brooding.

"Okay, what is it?" Cherry asked putting down her spoon.

"Romana and Oonu are gone."

"When? Why?"

"Apparently Romana received news of an ailing friend and she rushed to Volcaneum to see if her friend was okay. Oonu followed her to make sure she was alright."

Cherry nodded

"That's sudden," she commented.

"I know," David answered.

What was really bothering him was what Romana had tried to tell him last night. If he was right then Romana was in lo... David shook his head. Now was the worst time to find out Romana had feelings for him, first he had to work out his feelings for Marion before he could even begin considering other people.

Sure, he liked Romana as maybe more than just friends. But like and love were two different things. 

=Couldn't live just be easier?= he thought wryly.

He was so busying worrying, he didn't even notice Cherry leaving.

Cherry ignored the bustling crowd of humans and dinosaurs around her as she walked back towards the living quarters. Happily she hummed one of her favourite songs to herself, enjoying the scenery spread out before her. Dinosaurs and humans were working in the fields with complete cooperation, their happy chatting creating an atmosphere of relaxation and happiness. 

Whilst for most humans saurian speech was completely alien but for Cherry, with the help of her unique gift, was able to understand dinosaurs perfectly. She caught snippets of what dinosaurs were saying as she hurried past. 

She caught sight of Karl talking to some younger children, it seems like he was teaching them how to care for infant dinosaurs. 26 was not very happy since Karl had to demonstrate most of what he said on her. In fact she never stopped complaining. 

Cherry laughed a little as Karl struggled with the squirming youngster but couldn't stop to help or watch since she was already late.

"Zippo is going to kill me," she groaned not wanting to suffer through another infamous Zippo lecture.

She quickened her pace and soon entered the cool building. Quickly she made her way to Zippo's room. With a final sigh, she knocked on Zippo's door.  

"Come in!"

Cherry opened it and winced ready to take the full brunt of Zippo's lecturing. Nothing. She opened her eyes.

"Marion?" she asked confused, why was Marion here?  

Marion nodded and didn't say anything.

"What's wrong?" Cherry asked gently.

Her friend's eyes were red as if she had been crying and her usually neat hair was a mess. She was staring blankly into space lost in her own thoughts.

"My sister, Samantha... she's gone," Marion whispered numbly.

"What do you mean gone?" Cherry demanded.

"She's disappeared and nobody can find her!" Marion snapped. Cherry stared, Marion rarely got angry. She must have been really upset to snap at her like that. Marion's anger faded and her saddened expression returned. 

"We've already informed the Matriarch and she's already had people search the farm," Zippo clacked his bill-like lips together a sign that he was worried, "They find nothing. Except..." 

"Except what?" 

Zippo took a deep breath and looked at his life partner worriedly. 

"A bag containing some of Samantha's clothes. It was found just near the doorway."

Cherry stared at Zippo. A thousand thoughts raced through her head. What could have happened to her? Glancing at her grief-stricken friend she made up her mind.

"Is there any I can do?" she asked urgently.

Zippo nodded relieved.

"We would like you to speak to Linkar, Samantha's saurian friend. She's young so nobody could really understand her."

"I'm right on it."

 Cherry smiled grimly and opened the door. What Linkar had told her wasn't exactly helpful but at least she knew why Samantha had left. It had taken a while for her to understand the hysterical youngster. 

=I wish we had find out earlier so we could have stopped all of this from happening= she thought sourly.

And if wishes were fishes...

"Did Linkar tell you where she is?" David demanded as soon as she walked into the room. Cherry blinked in surprise at the sight of David and Karl, who was leaning against the wall watching the shell-shocked Marion with a slight frown on his face.

26 honked her own question as Marion looked at her hopefully.

"Nothing," everybody looked at her confused, "Linkar knows nothing."

Marion's face fell and 26 nudged her gently as tears flowed down her face.

"Although..." 

Cherry stopped and looked at Marion, worried. This would be hard on her and Marion wasn't going to take it very well... She stood there for a moment wondering if she should tell her.

"Although what?" Karl demanded startling her from her thoughts.

Cherry took a breath and began speaking before she changed her mind.

"Linkar told me why Samantha tried to run away..."

"She tried to run away?" Zippo asked surprise, "Why?"

She ignored the interruption and continued.  
"She felt that nobody noticed her. Linkar told me that Samantha felt that Marion got all the attention. And she felt like she was unwanted and alone," Cherry trailed off as Marion looked at her, her eyes haunted.

"What she said is right," Marion murmured, "It's all my fault..."

Cherry exchanged worried looks with the brothers over her head. Karl opened his mouth to say something but glancing at Marion he closed his mouth.

Cherry cleared her throat, hating what she had to say next.

"There's one little extra detail I forgot to mention," she winced as everybody stared at her, "Linkar heard Samantha scream... I thin... I think... she's been... umm... well..."

"She's been what?" Karl demanded impatiently.

Cherry laughed nervously.

"Well... kidnapped."

David stared at her in surprise as Karl snorted in disbelief. Zippo stared at her confused, the term 'kidnap' was alien to everybody in Dinotopia.

"Kidnap?" Zippo muttered stumbling over the unfamiliar word.

"Umm... it means," Cherry frowned trying to think back to her English classes. She managed to come up with a reasonable explanation,  "Samantha's been caught and held prisoner by someone or something."

Marion looked up at her, her eyes frantic.

"What're we waiting for! We have to find her before anything happens to her!" her voice was almost shriek.

"Calm down!" Cherry snapped.

She instantly regretted her sharp tone as Marion's false bravado fell revealing her anguish and pain. 

"We have to think about this. Someone kidnapped her... why?"

"Maybe because Samantha is the Matriarch's daughter... the kidnappers may have wanted to get to the Matriarch," David said thoughtfully.

"Oh come on!" Karl retorted, "This isn't the Outside World. We're in Dinotopia, who would want to kidnap anybody?"

David muttered something to his brother.

"Yeah but he's dead."

Zippo broke up the two brother's impending argument by putting in his own opinion.

"Perhaps it would be wise to search the Farm again."

Cherry nodded.

"We better not start jumping to conclusions," she warned, "Marion are you going to be okay?"

Marion nodded slightly. Cherry smiled reassuringly at her.

"Don't worry. We'll have her back before you know it."

She turned around and walked to the door. Suddenly she stopped.

"What is it?" David asked her.

"I just had this strange thought..." Cherry smiled nervously, "Could someone else be in danger?"

"BANG! BANG!"

Lily dropped her book and stared at her door, startled. It was shaking as someone on the other side began pounding it fiercely. Who could it be? Lily picked up her book and snapped it shut.

"I'm coming," she called.

The knocking ceased as Lily walked to the door. 

"Hello, what do you..." Lily began as she opened the door.

A hand shot through the small gap into the door and latched onto her arm, its gloved fingers digging into her soft flesh. The other hand slapped over her mouth before she could even blink. Lily struggled but knew it was hopeless as her attacker pinched her nose cruelly. She began choking as she struggled to get air into the lungs.

Suddenly a sweet smell assaulted her nose. Lily managed a weak yawn as her eyelids began to feel heavy.

=What am I doing?= her mind screamed, =Stay awake! Don't go to sleep!=

Her captor laughed cruelly as she struggled feebly against his vice-like grip. Lily managed to catch sight of a cloaked figure, its face hidden within the shadows of a hood before the world around her swirled and turned black.

Marion stroked 26's head as she thought about her sister. She reminisced about happier times with her sister when they were younger but now that Marion was training to be the next Matriarch... Marion closed her eyes as tears threatened to spill out again. She was startled from her depressing thoughts by a sharp knock on her door.

"Come in," she called her voice dull.

The knocking stopped as Marion's sensitive ears picked up the sound of footsteps walking away. Frowning she ran to her door and flung it open. Lying on the ground in front of her was a piece of white paper. Curious she bent over and picked it up.

Marion flipped it open and read the neat writing inside out loud.

"I have your sister and your friend. Come to the Sunstone Tower alone," Marion dropped the note as her hands began trembling violently.

26 honked to Marion asking her what was the problem.

Sunstone Tower? Marion was beginning to panic; time was running out for her sister and she had no idea what this tower was! The only sunstone tower she knew of was in Waterfall City but surely the note didn't mean that tower? Then she remembered... the farm had built a new tower housing the farm's sunstone last year just after she had left. She had only heard about it once but she knew enough to know where it was.

26 honked again.

Marion ignored the infant dinosaur as she re-read the note over and over again.

Samantha... and now somebody else was in trouble... Marion closed her eyes and tried to subside the pain in her heat. This was all her fault. 

Marion felt as though she had no control over her body as she sprinted to where she thought the Sunstone Tower was. She knew she shouldn't go but she couldn't help it. She had to save her sister and her friend.

Enough of sitting around weeping over things she could not change, she had to deal with the present. Marion came to the Sunstone Tower's door and gripped the doorhandle tightly. Taking a deep breath she flung it open.


	12. Ambush

Dinotopia Revenge 

**Chapter 12: Ambush **

"Still nothing?" 

Karl smiled grimly and nodded. Cherry growled in frustration. After hours of fruitless search and all they got to show for it was nothing! Nada, zilch, nil, nothing!   

"Any luck?" Karl called to his brother.

David shook his head.

"This is hopeless!" Cherry almost screamed in frustration, "the farm is huge! I asked everybody! They haven't seen her at all!"

"We have to keep trying," David told her, "I know we haven't found anything but she has to be in the farm somewhere."  

"We don't know that!" Cherry argued.

Surprisingly it was Karl who answered.

"Yes we do. There is no way out of the farm unless you travel through the Rainy Basin and there isn't a bus until tomorrow," Karl explained, "And Samantha wouldn't go willingly if you're right about the kidnapping."

"We'll search the farm one more time, okay?" David said looking at Cherry.

Cherry sighed.

"Fine, let's go."

~*~

Marion blinked in surprise as the door swung open. 

"That's strange..." she murmured.

The door was usually locked. She stood there puzzling over it but remembered why she was here and her face hardened. Taking a deep breath she stepped into the silent room careful not to make a noise. In front of her stood a long flight of stairs, its steps twisting in every which way as it snaked towards the top of the tower. Carefully she stepped onto the first step and began her ascent to the top.

There.  She had reached the top landing. In front of her stood another door. One simple piece of wood stood between her and her sister.

She walked up to it and pushed it open. She was hardly surprised this time when it swung open quietly.  

"Samantha?" she called softly.

She stepped into the room. 

"SAMANTHA!" she cried seeing her sister bound and gagged on the ground.

Lying beside her was another person only his or her face was turned away from her so she couldn't see who it was.

"Lily..." Marion murmured horrified as she knelt beside her friend.

Both of them seemed to be knocked out. Marion breathed a sigh of relief as she realised they were still breathing. They were all right. Marion fumbled with the knots on her sister's ropes as she tried to free her.

"Come on," she growled as she tried to pry the knots loose.

"How nice of you to join us," someone jeered behind her, its voice filled malice and scorn.

Marion whirled around.

"Who are you?" she asked gently, "Why did you kidnap my sister? If there is a problem I can help you."

The cloaked figure didn't bother to answer as he leapt at her. Marion scrambled backwards as the figure landed in front of her. 

"CRACK!"

The back of her head smashed into the stone floor as she lost her balance and fell. Her vision turned black as the figure towered over her.

"One down, two to go..."

~*~

Cherry rubbed her temple. She was developing a headache by now.

=Must be stress= she thought ruefully as she glanced back towards the buildings.

"This is it! I'm going to see if Marion is okay," she muttered to herself as she walked away.

Cherry headed back towards the living quarters and stepped into the cool hallway, glad to be out of the sun. The hall was empty since everybody was outside enjoying the beautiful spring weather.

"Zippo, what are you doing?" she asked frowning as she saw the green stenonychosaurus.

"Marion's gone!" he exclaimed running to her, "I went to see the Matriarch and when I came back she was gone!"

26 who was standing beside him honked and chirped in distress.

"What do you mean someone was knocking?" Cherry demanded.

_'Someone knocked on the door and she went out to see who it was!' _

"She didn't come back in..."

_'No.'_

"Oh great. Now Marion is missing as well," she grumbled as she ran back to Marion's room.

She stopped seeing a piece of white paper lying on the ground.

"What's this?" she wondered as she bent down and picked it up.

She quickly scanned its contents and her face paled.

"What is it?" Zippo asked his voice filled with distress.

Cherry handed the note to him silently, her face grim, her eyes blazing with anger. Zippo's eyes widened as he read it. He opened his bill-like mouth to talk but no noise came out.

"Oh my..." he managed to choke out at last.

"Where's this Sunstone Tower?" Cherry wanted to know.

Zippo sighed.

"Each town or city has a sunstone as you know to keep away predator dinosaurs. The Earth Farm's sunstone is located on top of a tall building near the living quarters," Zippo explained, "But people rarely go there."

Cherry snatched the note from Zippo's hand and folded it.

"26, take this note and find Karl, quick," she commanded holding out the note.

26 snapped up the note with her beak-like mouth and dashed off trying to make her stubby legs run as fast as possible.

"What are we going to do?" Zippo asked, looking at Cherry's face, worried, "We've got to do something... we can't just..."

Cherry cut him off.

"We're going to the tower."

~*~

"I really think we should wait for Karl and David," Zippo whispered looking around nervously.

"It may be too late by then," Cherry said grimly, "We've got to act fast. Now be quiet."

Cherry pushed the door open. Zippo gasped in horror as he saw his Life Partner lay sprawled out on the ground. Cherry ran to her and knelt down beside her. Remembering something from her first-aid lessons back at high school she checked Marion's pulse. 

"She's okay... just knocked out," Cherry murmured.

Cherry grimaced as she saw the ugly bruise hidden beneath Marion's thick brown hair. 

=Hope she doesn't get a concussion= 

"She's got a nasty bruise though," Cherry added carefully not to distress the already tense Zippo.

But Zippo was barely listening to her.

"The Sunstone is gone," he was really getting worked up now, "It's gone!"

Cherry glanced over at where Zippo was standing. Sticking out of the ground, in the middle of room was a stone pillar. Intricate carvings decorated the pillar, the work of craftsmen many years ago. Some kind of metal wrought in the shape of three claws was built into the top of the pillar. Cherry guessed the claws held the sunstone in place and as Zippo had said it held nothing.

Hidden partially by the pillar were two more people. Cherry rushed to them and was relieved to see they were both okay. 

"Lily and Samantha are here as well," Cherry called, "Hey Zippo. How can we get them out of here?"

"You can't."

That didn't sound like Zippo's voice.

"You're not going anywhere."

The door slammed shut as Cherry peered over the pillar. Standing in the doorway, blocking their exit stood a forbidding cloaked figure.

"Oh sugar..."

~*~

26 stumbled over the uneven ground and refused to slow down. She had to get this message to her Life Partner as soon as possible.

Most people thought that 26, being an infant, wasn't very intelligent. Well, they were just plain wrong. Chasmosaurus were gifted with a natural curiosity and a desire to learn.  Although 26 was young, she was very aware of what was going on around her.

Marion was in trouble. So was Samantha. And somebody else was in danger as well. And if 26 was right Cherry and Zippo were heading into trouble.

Right now 26 held the life of five people in her young paws. Talk about pressure. 26 honked and chirp in anger as she stumbled once again. But this time before she fell she caught sight of two familiar faces.

26 honked loudly trying to catch their attention. One of them turned around.

"26!" Karl ran to his Life Partner and helped her up, "What's wrong? Why are you running?"

26 gently rammed her beak into Karl's arm. Karl saw the note in her jaws and frowned.

"Hey David!" he called, "26's got a note!"

David walked over as Karl grabbed the note and read it. His face turned from shock to anger as he finished and handed the note to his brother. David sucked in his breath as he read the contents.

26 honked and chirped hurriedly trying to get her message across to Karl.

Karl stared at her in horror.

"Cherry and Zippo went to the tower?"

26 whistled her replied. Karl gritted his teeth and exchanged looks with his brother.

"We have to get there now."

~*~

The winds whistled in their ears as they flapped their long leathery wings wearily. Speed was of the essence. They were to go stealthily. Longwing had pounded that idea into their heads. He would not accept failure. They had to do the job well or face the consequences. 

It was do or die.

~*~

"Oh sugar..." Cherry muttered.

The cloaked figure leapt at Zippo first but somehow the stenonychosaurus managed to weave his way around him. The figure grunted in surprise as its fingers met with empty air. Judging by the body's build and the figure's voice, Cherry guessed it was a man. With an angry shout he whirled around again to face Zippo.

Cherry wasn't sure. But even with his face hidden within the shadows of the hood Cherry felt rather than saw the malicious smile on his face. 

"Oh god..." she muttered as she realised what he was planning.

He reached down and grabbed a fistful of Marion's hair.

"If you don't give yourself up..." the man laughed, "then this little girl is going to have a tragic ending to her short life."

Zippo gasped in shock and the man took advantage leaping at him. Cherry leapt out from behind the stone pillar and tackled the man around his waist.

With a grunt of surprise, he crashed into the ground again. Cherry got up instantly and moved into a fighter's stance. The man hauled himself up with difficulty, panting heavily.

"What is one little girl going to do to me?" the man demanded.

"This."

Cherry rushed at him and faked with a punch to his left. Instantly his arm came up to block her but Cherry nailed him with her right.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Cherry told him as she kicked his knee viciously, "I do judo." 

Cherry aimed a kick at his other knee but he was too fast. He grabbed her leg as Cherry struggled to free herself.

"I think you'll die first," he said nastily twisting her leg sharply. Cherry yelped in pain and increased her struggles.

"Get away from her!" a familiar voice cried.

The man dropped her leg in surprise as Cherry fell to the floor, seeing who it was she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Jeez, you couldn't come any quicker could you?" she snapped trying to hide her pain.

"How about thanks for coming to save me?" Karl shot back, angrily.

The man growled in frustration and rushed at the boys swinging his fists around. His plan may have worked if it wasn't for a certain chasmosaurus getting in the way. With an angry shout he toppled over as 26 honked in glee. With a sickening crunch his face met with the hard stone floor. Cherry winced as the man hauled himself up with difficulty. He was gasping for breath as he clutched the knee Cherry had kicked. With his hood slightly askew, Cherry could see the man's nose, which was pouring with blood.

"You think you can win?" the man snarled even through his pain as blood dripped onto the floor, "You may be able to defeat me but you'll never defeat the Master!"

"FACE HIS WRATH!" he yelled laughing dementedly.

As though in response three ear-piercing screeches resounded through the farm outside. Cherry dashed to the window, hobbling slightly. The leg the stranger had grabbed was still a bit sore.

"Oh..." Cherry muttered a curse as David joined her by the window.

Three pterandons came into view as the people below screamed in horror. It was utter chaos as each person tried to find shelter against the swooping dinosaurs. David stuck two of his finger in his mouth and let out a piercing whistle.

"What's the point of that?" Cherry asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Freefall."


	13. Battle

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 13: Battle **

David stuck two of his finger in his mouth and let out a piercing whistle.

"What's the point of that?" Cherry asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Freefall."

~*~

Freefall snorted. As if he needed his rider's warning! Sharpbeak stared up at the sky looking at the pterandons intently trying to pick out weaknesses.

_'Longwing's flock?'_ Freefall squawked.

Sharpbeak gave out a piercing screech, pterandon speech for 'yes'.

_'Never seen them before,must be newcomers then.'_

_'Ready to give old Longwing a headache?'_ Sharpbeak said wickedly.

Freefall twisted his beak into a pterandon smile.

_'Let's go.'_

"CREEEEEEE!!!" 

With a fierce war cry the pterandons launched into the air. The trio of enemy pterandons screeched a challenge and dived at them, their wings folded back for maximum speed.

Freefall and Sharpbeak easily dodged the pterandons as they shot past. The duo wheeled around and was immediately onto the enemy, their sharp beak leaving bleeding cuts on the pterandons' back.

The trio screeched in anger and whirled around in midair forming a V formation as they swooped at Sharpbeak and Freefall. They managed to split the duo apart as two pterandons peeled off from the formation. Freefall had to perform a hasty barrel roll to avoid crashing into one of the buildings as the pterandon pursuing him screeched in victory lashing out at him with its deadly beak. Freefall veered off sharply to the left, smirking as he heard his opponent's surprised squawks.

Sharpbeak dived and weaved around the buildings trying to throw his pursuer off but the pterandon was everywhere slashing at him with its beak. Sharpbeak snapped his beaks together in frustration as his pursuer continued to inflict tiny bleeding cuts on his back. His attacker sneered at him as it continued its onslaught of cuts and bruises. The pterandon screeched in triumph before Freefall attacked from behind savagely attacking its wings. With a loud screech pain the pterandon fell from the sky landing in a heap on the ground. 

"CREEEEEE!!!!"

The duo pursued the pterandon Freefall had managed to shaken off. Their enemy attempted to jabbed at Freefall but it was all in vain. Sharpbeak slashed at Freefall's attacker aiming for its vulnerable back. It arched its back in pain as Freefall whirled around in mid-air and faced his attacker. The pterandons boxed their enemy in slashing mercilessly with their beaks.

"CREEEEEEE!!!!!"

~*~

Cherry breathed a sigh of relief as Sharpbeak's attacker was put out of action. Cherry winced almost feeling sorry for the pterandon. No doubt Longwing had threatened it with death before it agreed to this crazy suicide attack on the Earth Farm. She gritted her teeth as she remembered the cruel but demented pterandon who had held her captive. And speaking of demented...

"DAVID!" Karl yelled.

David and Cherry whirled around as the cloaked kidnapper rummaged around in his cloak.

"Time for you to die..." he chanted in a singsong voice.

"Put your hands where I can see them!" David barked.

"Where did you get that off?" Cherry wanted to know, "A cop show?"

The cloaked man laughed dementedly as he held up his hands. Something was clutched tightly in his gloved fingers. Something long and sharp. Something metal. A knife.

He held the knife so the tip was pointing down to the ground. What for? Surely he wasn't going to stab the stone floor... was he? Cherry wouldn't put it past the crazy kidnapper. 

"DIE!"

Luckily Karl figured out what he was doing before Cherry or David did. The stranger leapt at Marion who was still lying on the ground, knocked out. Karl was quicker though and managed to grab his arm before Samantha's kidnapper planted a knife in Marion's chest.

Instincts kicked in and Cherry joined into the fray. Ignoring the pain in her right leg she lashed out knocking the knife from the stranger's grip. Another solid kick sent him sprawling on the ground. Karl grabbed the stranger's shoulder and hauled him up. 

"Why did you kidnap them?" he growled shaking the man.

The cloaked figure laughed and yanked himself out of Karl's grip.

"I work for the Master!" he crowed.

Cherry had had enough.

"Tell us!"

"NEVER!" he charged at her determined to get his hands around her neck.

Cherry's reflexes came into play and she performed a simple self-defence move. Taking the man's outstretched arm in her hands she used his speed against him throwing him over her head. Too bad the door was behind her.

She literally threw the man out of the door with a scream of rage the man hit the ground. Everybody could hear each distinctive thump as he tumbled down the stairs. Cherry winced as she heard the sickening crunch when the cloaked attacker made it to the bottom. Silence reigned in the tower.

"What?" Cherry asked looking around, "What did you want me do?"

Nobody answered as Zippo stared at her in shock. 

'Where did you learn to do that?' 26 asked curiously. 

A piercing screech reminded them of the aerial battle outside. Cherry dashed to the window and prayed Sharpbeak was all right. 

He had to be.

~*~

Sharpbeak was beginning to feel sorry for the enemy pterandon as Freefall kept it pinned against one of the buildings using his beak to wear out his opponent. Flying higher up into the air Sharpbeak spotted something that made him smirk.

"CRACK!"

Even with his better-than-human eyesight Freefall could only see a brown blur as a long muscular tail came down. The other pterandon had no idea what had hit it as the tail smashed into its head. With a screech of surprise it joined its partner on the ground.

Now brachiosaurs were generally placid mannered saurians. They were gentle giants but when their tempers were aroused it was every saurian for itself. The large female brachiosaur grunted in satisfaction as she flexed her long tail daring any other pterandons to come within her range.

_'One left,'_ Sharpbeak called.

_'I know.' _Freefall said tersely. 

They sped around the buildings senses alert.

_'There!'_ Sharpbeak screeched.

Freefall dived down at it but it was too fast managing to avoid Freefall's flailing beak. Sharpbeak was immediately on the remaining pterandon trying to drive it close to the buildings but the remaining pterandon was smarter and more skilled than its companions. It turned sharply almost causing Sharpbeak to smash into a building.

_'You'll never beat me!'_ it crowed in triumph. 

Freefall flew out from around a building screeching in fury.

_'Fool! You think you can defeat us?'_ he snarled as he engaged the enemy pterandon in combat. 

Sharpbeak stayed back gliding on the warm thermals as he watched the battle intently. Freefall had the upper hand, jabbing and slashing with its beak, buffeting his enemy with powerful flaps of his wing. The other pterandon refused to give up, trying as best as it could to keep up with Freefall's fierce attack. 

Slowly but steadily the albino pterandon managed to drive its opponent back. The enemy pterandon didn't realise Freefall's plan until it was too late.

"CREEEEEEE!" it screeched in pain as the female brachiosaur let out a loud bellow of triumph. She whipped her tail up and then brought it down at an amazing speed hitting the remaining pterandon in the chest. The pterandon managed to let out a laboured gasp of pain before it fell to the ground moaning slightly.

'Longwing must be confident if he sends his lackeys to attack the Earth Farm,' Sharpbeak commented. 'Or he's crazy.' 'True, I reckon it won't be long before the flock turns on him.' 'But right now he's a threat to Dinotopia...' Freefall sounded worried, 'A threat like no other...' ~*~ 

"Oh thank god, they won," Cherry muttered.

David remained silent staring down at the trio of pterandon lying on the ground. Each one seemed to be okay just knocked out for the time being. Karl was kneeling beside Marion trying to undo the ropes tied around her hands.

"I'll give the kidnapper this," Karl muttered, "He can tie a knot."

"Maybe this'll help?" Cherry limped to the knife she had kicked out of the stranger's hands and handed it to Karl.

Karl accepted it with a grunt and began sawing the thick rope with it. It wasn't long before the sharp blade did its work.

"I wonder if the kidnapper is okay," Cherry murmured gesturing towards the open door, "I hope I didn't hurt him too badly."

"I hope you snapped his neck," Karl growled as he moved to Samantha, "It's no more than what he deserves." 

"Still we got to see who he is," David walked to the door, "Coming?"

Cherry grimaced as she attempted to join him.

"You go. My leg is a bit sore."

David glanced at her worriedly.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Cherry flapped her hands at him, "Go!"

David started down the stairs as 26 scampered to join him. Zippo, Cherry and Karl waited in silence as David made it to the bottom.

"David? Have you unmasked him yet?  
"No..." David's voice was shaky. 

"Why?" Cherry demanded frantically, "I didn't kill him, did I?"

26 honked. 

Cherry sighed in relief.

"Thank god I didn't kill him."

A long string of chirps and hoots resounded through the tower.

"What do you mean gone?" Cherry yelled down to 26.

Zippo looked at her confused.

"What did she say?"

Cherry stared at him, shocked. Her emerald eyes were puzzled.

"She said he's gone. He's vanished into thin air."

                                                                                                    


	14. Injustice

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 14: Injustice **

Marion tried to open her eyes but even that was too much of a strain. Her head pounded dully as she attempted to open her eyes again.

"Are you sure she is okay?" a familiar voice asked.

"Yes, she is fine, David," another voice answered, "You and your brother get some rest. Hovering around her isn't going to fix anything."

"Mother?" Marion murmured.

"I'm here Marion."

Marion felt her mother's hand squeeze her hand tightly.

"What happened?" Marion asked weakly.

Why couldn't she open her eyes? She was so tired... so very, very tired....

"Long story..." this time the voice sounded like a female's "But all well that ends well eh?"

"What are you doing?" Rosemary asked sharply, "you should be resting your leg."

"It's fine."

Suddenly it hit her. Samantha. The kidnapping. Lily. The Sunstone Tower. 

"Samantha. Lily. Are the all right?" she asked frantically trying to open her eyes.

"They're fine," her mother murmured to her softly, "They're sleeping as you should be doing."

Marion nodded weakly. She lay back as the throbbing in her head subsided and she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Karl peeked into Samantha's room. Rosemary was sitting beside the bad, her back facing the door as she held her daughter's hand tightly. Karl turned to leave quietly not wanting to disturb this private moment. 

What a minute... Rosemary's shoulders were shaking. Karl stopped. Was something wrong?  
"Matriarch?" he called softly.

Rosemary turned around startled, her eyes red. She looked worn out and miserable. Even to Karl it was obvious that she had been crying. 

"Are you all right?" Karl asked concern.

Rosemary smiled sadly at him.

"I'm fine..." she stopped. 

"No, I'm not," she admitted with a worried look at her daughter.

"What's wrong?"

The Matriarch of the Earth Farm smiled at him bitterly. Her usually placid and kind face was gone replaced by a mask of anguish and regret.

"I'm the Matriarch," she began, "I'm a leader. I have to care for all the people who depend on me. But how can I be a good leader when I can't even care for my own daughters? My own flesh and blood?"

Karl stared at her not quiet understanding. Rosemary looked up at him, her eyes bleak and glistening with unshed tears.    

"I envy normal mothers," she laughed bitterly, "they have to freedom to care for their children properly but I can't. I have to put the greater good before my own family. My marriage fell apart because of it and I'm losing my daughters because of it. Maybe it's time for me to stop. To give up."

"But you can't!" Karl protested, "Samantha and Marion both love you very much. They don't hate you when you seem indifferent to them. They admire and respect you! Everybody does."

Rosemary smiled at him. This time her smile was genuine.

"Hearing you say that gives me hope," she smiled softly at the sleeping Samantha, "I must try my best to be a good mother."

"They don't expect anything more of you," Karl told her firmly, "Neither does anybody else."

Karl turned to leave.

"Thank you, Karl."

"Are you sure you are fine?"

"Yes, _mother_," Cherry drawled hobbling along on her crutches, "It's fine. After tonight it'll be gone."

"Sure?"

"Yeah of course, I get stacks of nasty bruises all the time."

David had sighed when the stubborn girl had refused to lie in bed for another day. Why was he nagging? He knew it would just make her even more stubborn.

"How are you Marion?" Cherry grinned at her friend as she opened the door.

She blinked in surprise. Lily, Zippo, Karl and 26 were already there sitting around Marion's bed. David growled under his breath when he caught sight of Karl holding Marion's hand. Cherry elbowed him and shot him a warning glare.

"I'm fine," Marion smiled slightly as Zippo began fussing again.

"Lily? Are you okay?" 

Lily smiled shyly and nodded her head.

"I'm all right."

"What happened to you?" Marion asked Cherry curiously.

"Oh this?" Cherry laughed, "I got some bruises. Nothing big." 

26 chirped cheerfully as Karl flushed. Cherry managed to hide a snigger as her emerald eyes began dancing wickedly.

"Oh really?" she said innocently, "I didn't know that."

"Know what?" David demanded.

"Oh, nothing..." Cherry smiled sweetly.

David noticed Karl's blushing face and knew whatever 26 had said it had something to do with Marion and Karl. Cherry's evil grin confirmed that. He sighed and felt a headache coming on. At least everybody had recovered from the kidnapping and the pterandon attack on the Earth Farm.

"What happened to those three pterandons?" Zippo asked curiously.

"We're keeping them locked up in the skybax roosts," David replied, "We sent a postal bird to both Waterfall City and Canyon City." 

"Who were those pterandons?" Lily asked looking at David.

David looked at Cherry as the girl frowned and growled under her breath.

"Freefall and Sharpbeak told me that those three are from Longwing's flock," she said shortly. 

"Longwing?" Marion asked staring at her.

Cherry sighed and retold her story about how she ended up in Dinotopia and her imprisonment by the crazy pterandon.

"This is to be kept a secret. Don't tell anyone," Cherry warned looking at 26 in particular.

26 looked back at her, the picture of saurian innocence. Cherry didn't believe her for a second. But she let it go since she didn't want to get into an argument for once.

"Does anybody have any idea who the kidnapper is?" she asked changing the subject.

"Welcome Oonu," Rosemary greeted smiling softly, "Sorry for making you return again on such short notice."

"I hear three pterandons attacked the farm," the Master rider said getting right to the point.

Rosemary's smile faded.

"Yes, but luckily Freefall and Sharpbeak managed to stop them."

Oonu winced at the name of Sharpbeak and withdrew a scroll from his pockets.

"I have permission from Mayor Waldo of Waterfall City to take all the pterandons to Waterfall City where they will await trial." 

Rosemary nodded.

"Very well, you make take them away."

"_All _of them."

The Matriarch stared at him.

"All?" Rosemary gasped, "But he helped save the Farm."

"The Mayor commands it."

Rosemary sighed.

"Very well, let me inform David and Cherry."

"I wonder what she wanted?" Cherry wondered as she leaned on her crutches.

David matched his strides to Cherry's limping progress. He was silent, lost in his own thoughts. Cherry sighed seeing that he was brooding again. 

David snapped out his brooding and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a soft voice called.

He opened the door and Cherry followed him into the large room. Cherry glanced around the room and noticed the rich tapestries decorating the stone walls. A huge woven rug lay on the ground, the gold treads catching the light drifting in from the windows. There were several bookshelves packed with leather-bound books and scrolls. All in all it looked very expensive and sophisticated.

"Sir," David gave the man standing in the room some kind of salute.

The man nodded his acknowledgement and fixed his gaze of Cherry. Cherry met it wondering who this man was.

"This Oonu, Leader of the Skybax Academy located in Canyon City," Rosemary introduced, "he is here to deal with the pterandons."  
Cherry nodded as Oonu began speaking. 

"The Mayor of Waterfall City has given me permission to take all the pterandons to Waterfall City."

"So? Why did you want us?" Cherry asked puzzled as she looked at the Matriarch. 

"The Mayor wants _all _of them."

Cherry stared at her.

"You're joking."

"Freefall as well?" David asked shocked.

"No," Oonu held up his hand to silence David, "Just the others."

"But you can't!" Cherry exploded, "What did Sharpbeak do? He help save this blasted farm!"

"Rest assured nothing will happen to him. They just want to trial him."

David winced as Oonu said those words. He knew Cherry well enough to know that she would probably go ballistic over those words. She didn't disappoint.

"TRIAL?!?" Cherry gasped, "How dare you! He escaped that murderous flock! He hasn't done anything wrong!"

"The Mayor does not know that," Rosemary explained calmly, "Once he knows Sharpbeak will be freed. In the mean time you should also go to Waterfall City. Do not worry you'll be close to him all the time."

Cherry glared at her.

"I cannot believe this," she growled.

Oonu looked at her evenly.

"For the sake of Dinotopia, Sharpbeak must be taken to Waterfall City. He will not be harmed."

"For the sake of Dinotopia," Cherry mimicked, disgusted, "You call this a utopia? A place where an innocent being is 'taken' for no apparent reason? I thought utopia meant equality and fairness. This is a utopia? Dream on!"

With that she swung the door open and hobbled out. Rosemary opened her mouth to say something but the door slammed shut cutting her off. They remained in the room staring at the door silently.

David sighed, he wish he could make Cherry see this was for the best. But he knew that she would ignore him. But somehow he had to get through to her... somehow...


	15. Persuasion

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 15: Persuasion **

David rubbed his temple. He felt a headache coming on and it was no wonder.

First, Marion and Samantha were still recovering from their ordeal. Lily was now well enough to go around doing her normal chores but the Matriarch was keeping a close eye on her.

Second, there was the problem of the pterandon invaders to deal with. Oonu was worried and so was he. How on earth did the pterandons manage to get past the sunstones? Oonu had already sent messenger birds back to Canyon City, the Master rider desperately wanted to go back to the Skybax Academy but he had his duty to the Mayor to fulfil first. The worst thing was the lack of information, Oonu hadn't been back to Canyon City for a quite while now. He had followed Romana to Volcaneum and had come straight to the Earth Farm from there and there had been no reports from Canyon City as of yet. David felt uneasy, he knew something was wrong but he had no idea what it was.

Third, well... the object of his third problem was hobbling straight towards him with an angry scowl on her face.

"Cherry," David said keeping his voice neutral.

"Hi," she muttered as she leaned on her crutches.

"How are you?" David asked genuine concern showing through.

Cherry somehow managed to shrug even with the crutches under her arm.

"Been better I guess."

They both knew they're avoiding the subject they had to discuss but neither wanted to get into another argument. If Cherry wanted to avoid it then it was fine by David. Clashing with Cherry right now was not on the top of his favourite things to do list. 

"That's good to hear."

Cherry nodded and hobbled away as David let out a long sigh.

Why couldn't life be easy?

Romana stepped into saurian home and was immediately greeted by a young proceratops. Due to her rosy pink scales dotting her back, she was called Petal. And like many of her kind she was also one of the few dinosaurs that can speak human speech.

"Romana," Petal said gravely.

"How is he?" Romana immediately getting to the point, "I'm so sorry I wasn't here earlier. I had to go the Earth Farm and..."

Petal looked at her with tears in her bright azure eyes.

"Father is getting worse," she replied with much sadness in her voice, "he wishes to see you."

Romana took a deep breath and followed the proceratops remembering to duck under the low doorway.

She stopped and blinked back tears seeing the frail old proceratops lying in a nest-shape bed.

"Ahhh... Romana," Chaz murmured weakly.

Chaz had been with her father, Will Denison when he had ventured into the Rainy Basin to rescue a young T-rex from the clutches of human pirates. After that adventure, the two had been good friends and Chaz was also her saurian godfather.

It hurt Romana profoundly to see such the wonderful, wise dinosaur who had watched over her from the day she was born, lying there in so much pain.

"I'm so sorry Chaz," she murmured kneeling down next to the bed.

Chaz looked up at her and a ghost of his usual smile flickered across his beak mouth.

"What for?" he whispered.

"For not being here."

"Stubborn just like your father," Chaz told with laughter dancing in his old eyes.

Romana couldn't help bug smile back at the saurian.

"Do not be sad," Chaz told her, "I have seen and done many things other humans and saurians could only dream of. I have lived long and have many fond memories to take with me."

Romana nodded sadly.

An uncomfortable silence fell between the two as Romana knelt there looking at the loving saurian who had been there to comfort her when her two parents at died. Now with Chaz's approaching death, it seemed that she was going to be alone in this world. 

She gripped the proceratops foot tightly as if she was trying to drag him back from the reaches of death. She struggled to keep the tears from flooding down her face as Chaz smiled at her sadly.

Knowing what the young woman was thinking, Chaz sought to distract her.

"Have I told you the story about your father's adventure in the Rainy Basin? The story about Brognar Blackstrap and Prettykill?"

Romana somehow managed to chuckle.

"Only a thousand times. Your memory must be fading."

Chaz smiled.

"Then I must tell the story again to make sure I remember it properly."  
Petal entered the room and rested her head on Romana's lap as the girl listened as Chaz once again retold the epic journey of her father through the Rainy Basin.

For a few blessed hours, Romana forgot about the approaching death of her saurian godfather and entered the world of fantasies, mysteries and a land where good always triumphed evil.

Cherry cautiously put her weight onto her injured leg. She smiled there was a little bit of pain but nothing she couldn't handle. Careful not to bump her leg into anything, she walked around testing it. 

Satisfied that she wouldn't suddenly collapse she walked out of her room and right into the last person she wanted to see... David.

"Hi," she said weakly hating this sudden uneasiness between them. 

=This is stupid!= she cursed in her mind, =Couldn't they see Sharpbeak didn't do anything?=

But of course David thought that she should obey Oonu and the Mayor. Hence they were uncomfortable with each other. 

"Cherry," David sounded surprise, "Is your leg better?"

Cherry managed to grin.

"Yeah, I think I can walk around normally now."

"Are you sure? I mean you could injure it again."

"It's fine," Cherry reassured him.

They stood there looking at each other, Cherry wished that somebody else would come along and ease the tension between them.

"So," David took a deep breath and stared again, "Have you thought about it?"

David didn't need to elaborate what 'it' meant, Cherry knew all too well. She tried to beat down the anger raging inside her and at least be civil to David and give him a proper answer. He deserved that at least.

"I still think it's wrong," she said flatly, "Sharpbeak didn't do anything. He shouldn't have to go."

David sighed.

"Cherry, I know that Sharpbeak didn't do anything but you need to prove it to the Senate. The trial will be short and fair nothing would happen to Sharpbeak."

Cherry scowled.

"No, I still refuse to let Sharpbeak go. It's simply a matter of fairness and this isn't fair!"

"Nothing in this world is fair," David reminded her.

"I know that but Dinotopia is supposedly based on fairness and if I allow this to happen then it would pretty much undermine Dinotopian ways, wouldn't it?" Cherry asked smiling knowing she had David cornered.

David wished that Marion hadn't taught her so much about Dinotopia. There really wasn't any way he could argue against that logic. 

"Well, it's not me you have to try and convince it's the Matriarch and Oonu."

Cherry shrugged.

"I'll figure out a way."

With that Cherry left David who sighed and wondered just how stubborn she could be. She was almost as stubborn as Karl and he never thought that was even possible but it was starting to look like that.

Perhaps there was another way to persuade her that this trial was the only way that the residents of Dinotopia would accept that Sharpbeak was good. There had to be a way...

David smiled. He knew exactly what to do.

Rosemary watched her youngest daughter sleep and couldn't help feel angry at the man who had attempted to hurt such an innocent little child.

Deep inside, she was worried. Pterandons were attacking but what happened to the sunstones at Canyon City? And who was that mysterious cloaked man? So many questions so little answers.

Rosemary felt hopeless and she didn't like it. 

Samantha stirred and opened her eyes slowly.

"Mother?" she whispered sitting up in bed.

"I'm here," Rosemary told her softly.

"What happened?" 

"You, Lily and Marion were in danger but David, Karl and Cherry managed to rescue you three."

"Marion? Is she all right?" Samantha stopped and remembered the reason why she had attempted to run away in the first place and felt ashamed at her behaviour.

"Marion is fine. She tried to rescue you but she too was caught up in the danger," Rosemary knew what had transpired between Samantha and Marion and took the chance to try and make things better.

"It's all my fault," Samantha whimpered.

"It's not," Rosemary told her firmly, "Everything that has occurred was not your fault. It was orchestrated by someone we don't know but I know that you had nothing to do with it."

"But I tried to run away!" Samantha turned to look at her mother in the eyes.

Rosemary's calm level gaze caused Samantha to look away.

"I'm sorry," Rosemary said simply and quietly, "I should have been a better mother."

"No! You don't have to be sorry! You were a good mother it's just me! I was too blind to see thing that were right in front of me!" Samantha's voice trailed off as she looked down at her blanket-clad legs.

"I guess we're all at fault in some ways," Rosemary suddenly enveloped her daughter in a hug, "I was so scared."

"Me too."

Daughter and mother sat there hugging each other as old wounds were closed and slowly began the long path towards healing.

And in a city far from Vidabba amidst the smoky air caused by forges and amidst the noisy clang of metal hitting metal, a new wound was being open.

Chaz finished his tale and smiled softly seeing the human he loved as if she was his own daughter smile.

"A good story," Petal said breaking silence, "One of courage shown in many ways and forms."

"Yes," Chaz replied, "And now you two must have the courage to go on without me."

He coughed hoarsely and felt the firm grip of death clutch his body.

=It is time and I've led a good life= he thought wistfully wishing he could stay in this world for just a little longer but he knew that death was inevitable.

"Farewell, my daughters," he gave one final smile, "Live long and happy lives and look after each other. Farewell!"

With that Chaz the proceratops, father of Petal, godfather to Romana slipped away from his world with a faint smile on his face. 

Romana and Petal hugged each other grieving over what was lost and celebrating the wonderful life that Chaz led and the good he did in his life.

Life moved on but it left behind one brave, kind and loving proceratops: Chaz...


	16. Journey

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 16: Journey**

Marion sat up in bed. Her face was sad, the small smile on her face was bitter. It was all her fault, her mind shrieked at her over and over again. She knew it, Karl knew it, David knew it, Cherry knew it... just about everybody knew it! But they were just too polite to say it. She felt alone, everybody else had other things to do. Zippo had already departed, leaving to return to his beloved library in Waterfall City. She was alone with nothing to distract her from her guilt.  

She could apologise and put it out of her mind but Marion knew it wasn't enough. She had to make her sister see that she and her mother both loved her. She had to make Samantha see that everybody loved her for who she was.

Her mind made up she began the difficult process of getting up. Even as her body protested against her movements, her mind would not let her stop. 

Samantha had to see the truth.

"WHAT!?!"  
Sharpbeak winced as Cherry stared at him flabbergasted.

"You can't be serious!" she protested.

_'Never more so,' _Sharpbeak told her gravely.

"Bu... but... but..."

_'There is nothing to worry about. I'm innocent so what can possibly happen to me?'_ Sharpbeak pointed out. 

Cherry stood stunned. Sharpbeak's reaction was the exact opposite of hers. Slowly her brain began working again.

"David talked to you didn't he?" she accused staring at him with narrowed eyes.

Cherry knew she was right when the pterandon refused to meet her gaze. Cherry smiled sadly and stroked Sharpbeak's beak. Sharpbeak closed his eyes and cawed in pleasure.

"I just wish you didn't have to do to this," she murmured to him softly.

_'Do not worry. I will not be alone.'_

Cherry looked up at him, surprised.

"Who's going with you?" 

Freefall emerged from the shadows.

_'I am.'_

"Marion! Are you all right?" Samantha asked concerned as soon as her sister walked through the door.

Marion stood there blinking. Of all the things she expected her sister to say it wasn't that.

"I heard you tried to save me. I'm so sorry for getting you into danger as well," Samantha look down at the bed looking very ashamed, "And I also know that my behaviour towards you was wrong and horrible as well."

Marion smiled at her sister.

"No, it's my fault. I'm sorry I didn't stick up for you when Dedira yelled at you," Marion told her sister softly, "I'm just so glad you have recovered from your ordeal."

Samantha smiled up at her as Marion sat down on the bed.

"Samantha. There is no need to be jealous of me, you're important to everybody around you. Me, our mother even to our friends," Marion told her seriously but kindly, "I'm just glad you're fine and no harm came from it."

"I'm glad we're both fine," Samantha declared, "how is Lily?"

"She recovered before both of us did."

The two sisters sat there, chatting and laughing. And for the first time they treated each not just as sisters but also as friends and equals.

"Sharpbeak will go to Waterfall City then," Rosemary said evenly.

Secretly she breathed a sigh of relief. She thanked David silently for talking to Sharpbeak. Having to deal with an angry Cherry was not a task she enjoyed. Finally the girl had relented and once more peace was restored in the farm. 

"But I will go to Waterfall City as well," Cherry told her glaring at her as if to dare her to say no.

"I will arrange from a bus to carry you," Rosemary told her calmly, "Thank you Cherry for you co-operation. Breath deep..."

"Fly high," the girl said absently as she turned to leave.

Rosemary smiled softly to herself as she went off to see her duties. A matriarch's job was never done. 

26 let out a long string of chirps, whistles and honks.

"Yes, Sharpbeak is going and so am I," Cherry told the infant dinosaur.

"I thought you were dead set against not going," Karl said raising his eyebrows.

Cherry shrugged.

"I changed my mind."

David smiled to himself and complimented himself for a job well done. Karl caught his brother's smile and understood immediately. But wisely he decided to keep his mouth shut.

"Freefall wants to go with him," Cherry added sneaking a glance at David.

David frowned. Freefall hadn't told him this. Most skybaxes told their riders everything! But then again Freefall wasn't a skybax and he wasn't a 'normal' pterandon either. David knew an argument he couldn't win when he saw one and this was definitely one of them. He would talk to Freefall later.

"I hear the next bus is coming next afternoon," Karl suddenly said.

"Bus? I thought there was no machines on Dinotopia?" Cherry asked confused.

"It's actually a kind of dinosaur," David explained.

"What kind is it?"

David and Karl looked at each other.

"Umm... good question..."

"Hmmm... I'll have to find out..."

"You mean you don't know?" Cherry asked disgusted, "Jeez, what kind of..."

"Maybe Karl and I should go to see if our father is alright," David cut in hurriedly.

Karl nodded.

"Yeah haven't seen the old man since he came here."

"Perhaps I should go and see my father as well," a quiet voice said behind them.

They turned around. Marion was standing there slightly leaning against the doorway. Her face was pale and her eyes were bloodshot but she smiled at them, a glimmer of the old Marion showing through her sadness and fatigue.

"It would be good to see him again," she murmured.

"Then it's set," Karl said smiling at them, "We're all going to the Rainy Basin!"

"Rainy Basin? Isn't that the place where the T-rexs are?"

"I'll miss you," Cherry murmured softly

Sharpbeak nudged her gently.

_'Do not worry Cherry,' _he reproved.

"I'll try not to," she said forcing a smile.

She kept up her facade as Oonu mounted his skybax. With a powerful pump of their wings Freefall, Sharpbeak and Oonu's skybax herding Longwing's lackeys along took to the sky.

"Come on," David said gently coming up behind her, "our bus is here."

Cherry nodded and followed the skybax rider. A single tear slid down her face as Sharpbeak let out a final goodbye caw.

Karl and David shifted uncomfortably in their seats as it swayed from side to side matching the graceful stride of their bus. After exchanging a few words with the 'bus', which was actually a young female saltasaurus called Songcall, Cherry was silent. Seated beside her was Marion who was likewise lost in her own thoughts. 

Unfortunately their behaviour was the exact opposite of 26's and the bus driver's.

"Are you all right back there?" Lief's, the bus driver, called cheerfully to them from his perch on Songcall's neck.

26 let out a loud honk as Songcall answered with a string of musical whistles. Lief laughed and patted his partner's neck.

"Don't worry. The skybax patrol reported there were no T-rexs in this area," he reassured her.

David was sure that even if he lived in Dinotopia for a hundred years he would never shake that uneasy feeling he had every time he entered the Rainy Basin. It just never seemed right, so many trees standing together blocking one's view. The trees were a blessing and a curse, it hid you from the predators but it also hid the predators from you. Perhaps it was just because he was a sky person; he preferred open spaces and sunny skies. Sneaking a glance at his brother, he sighed.

Karl was the picture of casualness as he lay back in his seat and enjoyed the scenery around them. Humming softly to himself, his brother smiled as he watched 26 attempted to rouse Cherry from her gloomy state.

"Leave me alone," Cherry muttered shoving 26's head off her lap.

26 honked loudly and butted her knee gently.

"Hush!" Lief hissed softly to them, "Songcall thinks there is something following us."

Everybody waited tensely. David held his breath and felt his heart attempt to rip itself free from his chest. Silence.

"It's probably nothing," Karl called back to Lief.

David breathed a small sigh of relief but Lief and Songcall were both silent and alert.

"RRROOOOOOWWWRRRRR!!!"

Cherry gasped in shock at the sight of a five-tonne predator with razor sharp teeth descend on them.

"GET OUT AND RUN!!!!" Lief screamed at them.

Everything dissolved into chaos.

Cherry saw David flung himself out of his seat and hit the ground. He was instantly up as Marion landed beside him. Grabbing her hand he dragged her into the forest.

Lief leapt down from his partner's neck as Karl and 26 scrambled out from their seats.

"Cherry!" Karl yelled looking back at her.

"GO! I'LL BE FINE!" she shouted back praying that she would be okay.

 She heaved herself over the side of the seat. The ground came hurtling up at her as she landed. Her vision went grey as pain shot up her already injured leg. Cherry managed a low whimper of pain before she tried to haul herself up.

_'Are you well?'_ Songcall asked nudging her gently.

Cherry didn't answer as she attempted to put her weight on her injured leg but it gave out under her. Lying on the dirt she managed to look up weakly.

_'BEGONE!' _Songcall screamed suddenly.

"RRROOOOOWRRRRRR!!!!" the T-rex roared a challenge as it opened its mouth revealing serrated teeth.

This time its roar was answered by others. Cherry could do nothing but watch as four more T-rexs emerged from behind a tall screen of trees.

Each one roared at them, slowly advancing forwards snapping their powerful jaws together. Cherry clutched Songcall's pillar-like leg and hauled herself up again her eyes never leaving the ring of T-rexs surrounding them. 

Her mouth opened to scream but no noise came out as one of T-rexs placed itself in front of Songcall.

It opened its mouth slowly. 

Cherry watched in horror as it lunged forwards.

"RRRROOOOOOOOWWWRRRRRR!!!!"


	17. Pact

Dinotopia 

**Revenge**

**Chapter 17: Pact**

David and Marion sprinted as fast as they could. Heedless of the trees and bushes in their way they pushed on.

"I think we lost the T-rexs," David gasped between his laboured breathing.  

Both of them stopped as Marion and David both tried to catch their breaths.

"Close shave," Marion wheezed as she leaned against a tree for support.

"I'll say."

They stared at their alien surrounding. Tall trees towered over them their semi-translucent leaves dappling the forest floor with bright spots of emerald green as the sun shone through them forming spears of light whenever they managed to get past the canopy above. 

David looked around trying to get his bearing. But everything was unfamiliar to him. All the trees and bushes looked the same. With a sickening feeling in his stomach he realised they were lost in T-rex territory.

Marion looked at him as he stared back at her. Both of them had a shocked look on their face.

"Uh oh..."

26 was panicking as Karl hugged her tighter to his chest murmuring soothing words to her. Lief ran beside them, seeing as there was no other choice Karl followed him.

"Where are we going?" Karl shouted at the young bus 'driver'. 

 "I DON'T KNOW!" Lief yelled back.

"Great... just great..." Karl muttered.

With the T-rexs' roaring still ringing in their ears they sprinted on.

Marion and David froze as they heard something crash through the forest.

"What is it?" David murmured.

Marion knelt down and put her ear to the ground.

"It's not a T-rex," she whispered half to herself, "Too quiet."

David glanced around looking for a heavy branch. Weapons weren't approved of at Dinotopia but as David saw it, it was better to fight then just stand here and get eaten.

Seeing one he picked it and tested its weight. Smiling grimly he hefted it up ready to swing at the intruder.

"STOP!" Marion yelled as David swung.

Lief ducked instinctively as the branch whizzed past his head just missing him by centimetres. Marion breathed a sigh of relief as Lief glared at him.

"What was that for?" he demanded.

"Sorry," David apologised as he dropped the branch.

"Fancy seeing you here," a familiar voice drawled.

"You made it," David greeted his brother.

Karl smiled and shrugged.

"Running away from T-rexs. What else is new around here?"

Marion interrupted looking around worriedly.

"Where's Cherry?"

Cherry watched in horror as Songcall whipped her armoured tail around. The T-rex roared in pain as the ironclad tail slammed into its ribs. The other T-rexs closed in hissing and spitting at the young saltasaurus. Cherry felt helpless in the face of these gigantic carnivores. Songcall swung her tail around warningly.

_'Leave them be!'_ a commanding voice roared.

The pack snarled at them and backed off drifting back into the forest. Cherry breathed a small sigh of relief as she clutched at Songcall's pillar-like legs weakly. 

"Who was that?" Cherry called up to Songcall.

Songcall sniffed and swung her tail around restlessly.

_'I do not know,'_ she said tightly.

Cherry patted the saltasaurus's leg comfortingly knowing the reason for her behaviour.

"You did great," she reassured Songcall, "the T-rexs are gone."

_'But Lief and the others have disappeared,'_ Songcall concluded sorrowfully.

"We'll find them."

The forest burst into confused chatter as the forest's residents reacted to the high-pitched screech that resounded through the forest echoing through the trees.

"What was that?" Cherry murmured looking around her eyes wide with shock.

Songcall stood silently as another screech reached them. Cherry gasped in shock as her mind managed to grasp what the screeching was trying to tell her.

_'HELP! HELP!'_

Marion felt the hair on the back of her neck rise as the screech continued to filter through the forest.

Karl and David stood and listened as Lief paced around nervously.

"Sounds like a infant T-rex," he murmured.

Karl and David glanced at each other as 26 whimpered. A T-rex's attachment to its child was legendary. David glanced around at the dense foliage half expecting to see a T-rex come crashing out from the forest.

"I think it's time we left," Karl spoke up.

"We can't!" Marion protested, "What about Cherry and Songcall?"

"There's only one thing to do," everybody turned to Lief. The young boy's face was pale and he was sweating heavily.

"We've got to find them... fast."

_'HELP! HELP!'_

Compelled by the distress in that voice Cherry took a step forwards.

_'STOP! Don't move!'_ Songcall yelled at her.

Cherry felt like she was in a trance. She seemed to have no control over what she did. She knew she was moving but she couldn't help it. Slowly step by step she moved towards the voice.

_'CHERRY!'_ Songcall yelled trying to block her way with her huge bulk.

Cherry merely climbed over Songcall's armoured tail and plunged into the trees. With a sigh of frustration Songcall took off after her.

Cherry felt as though she had just waken up from a deep sleep. She blinked drowsily and peered at her surrounding. Hurriedly she closed her eyes again wishing she really was sleeping and this was all a dream.

_'Human...' _a menacing voice spat.

Cherry forced herself to open her eyes. Five T-rexs peered down at her their lips peeled back revealing a row of vicious black teeth. The stench of death drifted out from the jagged gaps between each one. Cherry stood petrified, her numb mind trying to process what she was seeing and hearing. 

_'She is of no use to us,' _a cold, domineering voice commanded.

Cherry caught a glimpse of a large T-rex as the others advanced on her their footsteps causing the earth to shake. She was surrounded by a ring of vicious killers. But yet she did not feel fear, she felt peaceful and calm. She _knew _she ought to be screaming or weeping by now but she stood perfectly composed her emerald eyes meeting the cold gaze of the large T-rex.

"So what you're just going to eat me up?" she said coolly, "Somebody called for help and I'm not leaving until I find out who."

 The forest was silent as Cherry mentally kicked herself. She was stupid, utterly and completely stupid. She had to open her big mouth and make the situation worse. She may as well yell at them to eat her.

_'Aren't we a brave one?'_ one of the T-rexs chuckled nastily, _'Bravery won't save you now.'_

Cherry braced herself waiting for two rows of sharp teeth to reduce her to bloody shreds. Nothing. She opened her eyelids slightly. The larger T-rex looked at her thoughtfully.

_'Brave but foolish,' _the T-rex exploded into a hideous string of growls and grunts.

Laughter. The T-rex was laughing at her. Shouldn't they be eating her right now?

_'I like courage. Perhaps you can help us...'_

The whole pack of T-rexs stiffened as the sound of clanking reached their ears. Cherry cocked her head and frowned in confusion. The noise grew louder as the T-rexs faced the forest a growl of warning forming in their throats.

_'CHERRY! RUN!' _a familiar voice screamed.

Cherry sighed in relief as an enraged armoured saltasaurus burst into the opening swinging her tail around, ready to do battle.

_'RUN!' _Songcall screamed. 

"Don't worry," Cherry said reassuringly, "I think we're safe... for now."

The saltasaurus stared at her, dumfounded.

_'What?'_

"How on earth did you manage fall in there?" 

Cherry peered over the side of the ravine and stared into the grumpy face of a juvenile T-rex. The T-rex growled at her and snapped its jaws together.

 _'How do we get her out?' _Songcall questioned.

Cherry stood and thought for a while. She wondered if it was even possible to get the young T-rex out. But she had to. Her and Songcall's life depended on it.

The T-rex leader had promised to spare her life if she managed to rescue his daughter from a ravine she had so foolishly fallen into. Cherry peered down at Swiftfoot and grimaced seeing the steep slopes of the ravine. Dragging her out was not an option even if she could drag the one-tonne dinosaur. Perhaps a crane... Cherry laughed at herself mentally. A crane... she seriously doubted that Dinotopia had even develop cranes. She glanced at Songcall to see if she had any ideas.

Cherry smiled. Maybe there was a crane she could use...

_'I'm not sure about this,'_ Songcall called down nervously at Cherry who had joined Swiftfoot in the ravine. 

Cherry ignored her as she continued to tie a kind of net with the ropes she had in her hands.

Using a large sturdy branch as a lever, she somehow managed to half roll Swiftfoot onto the net she had fashioned. She ignored Songcall and motioned for her start lifting. Once again she blessed the person who had enough common sense to put rope in Songcall's packs. Fashioning a kind of noose with the rope Cherry had managed to wrap it securely around the saltasaurus's neck without strangling her and with her very limited skills Cherry had managed to create a net in which Swiftfoot can be carried in. 

In short Cherry was using Songcall as a crane. Grunting with exertion the young dinosaur got to work slowly raising her neck. Inch by inch Swiftfoot was raised out of the ravine. 

"Steady. Steady... now let her down!" Cherry called, "You're doing great!"

Songcall backed up slightly and lowered her neck depositing a meek Swiftfoot onto the forest floor. The leader of the T-rex pack lowered his head and poked his daughter with his snout.

_'Maybe that'll teach you not to wander off,'_ he scolded.

Swiftfoot remained silent still sulking about her accident. Her father sighed as Cherry climbed her way out of the ravine.

_'You have saved my daughter,' _the T-rex said humbly, _'I am eternally in your debt.'_

Cherry stared up at the massive carnivore in shock.

"Umm... what's you... your name?" she stammered nervously as the full extent of what the T-rex's comment hit her.

_'Gar-en-dor-oca,' _the T-rex replied in his natural tongue, which was a long string of growls and roars.

The clearing burst into saurian laughter as Cherry attempted to pronounce it. She gave up after she developed a sore throat.

"I think I'll call you something else," she said hoarsely, "How about... Jaws."

Whilst the T-rex and the infamous movie shark had nothing in common but Cherry thought it was a fitting name seeing the dinosaur's immense jaws.

_'Jaw... Jaws...'_ the T-rex repeated the name over and over again trying it out, _'A fitting name for one such as me.'_

"My name is Cherry," she smiled up at Jaws, "this is Songcall."

Songcall sniffed disdainfully as all the T-rex's head swivelled round to look at her.

"I need your help," Cherry began.

_'I am in your debt,'_ Jaws repeated.

"Good, I need to find my friends."

Lief and 26 was the first to sense the danger.

"Go into the trees and hide!" Lief hissed.

It was too late. The trees shook as the group stood rooted to the spot hoping against hope that whatever it was would go away. No luck. The sound of T-rex growls reached them as the carnivores neared. 

Karl felt his heart skip a beat as a huge T-rex burst from the forest. It lowered its head and sniffed them carefully.

"SONGCALL!"

Everybody whirled around as more T-rexs appeared behind them. Lief almost cried with relief as he ran to his saltasaurus partner and hugged her leg tightly. 

"Well, well, well what do we have here?" 

"CHERRY!?!"

"This is Waterfall City?"

"Here it is," Marion replied simply.

"Wow."

Cherry tried to take in the scene before her. Perched on the top of a giant network of roaring waterfalls stood a city whose beauty rivalled any other city on earth. The architecture was different from any Cherry had seen but its beauty was flawless. The whole city seemed to be floating on an ethereal cloud of mist.

_'It is here we leave you,'_ Jaws growled.

Cherry smiled at her newfound friend and patted his snout.

"Til next we meet," she told him from her seat on Songcall's back.

_'Til next we meet,'_ Jaws said gravely.

"And don't fall into any ravines whilst I'm gone!" Cherry called to Swiftfoot.

Swiftfoot sniffed, not wanting to be reminded of her accident. Jaws laughed at his daughter's disdain as he returned back to his forest kingdom.

_'Til next we meet!'_


	18. Uproar

Sorry for the massive delay in updating but I've almost completely forgotten about this fic. I kinda lost interest for a while but I recently watched the DVD of Dinotopia again and I began writing again and I fully intend to finish this. So here, enjoy three new chapters!

**Dinotopia **

**Revenge**

**Chapter 18: Uproar**

Romana moaned and touched her head gingerly. Why was she lying in bed? What happened? Slowly it came to her. Romana lay back down, closed her eyes and remembered.

* * *

_Flashback_

Stratus lowered his head and nudged his partner's shoulder gently trying to shake her out of her melancholy.

Romana half-heartedly patted Stratus's beak and continued to watch the sun begin its slow descent into the mountains. The sky was a fiery red tinged with traces of gold as the distant stars above began to reveal their own glow. The scenery was the perfect backdrop to the deep fissure and gorges, which made up Canyon City.

It was here that one could really feel the heartbeat of the earth yet Romana ignored the beat right now as she glanced absently at the sky deep in thought.

Chaz...

Her heart still mourned the death of her and her father's dear friends. In some way he had been the only living link between her and her father. The sorrow of losing her father and mother gushed to the surface as Romana blinked back tears.

Stratus gently rested his beak across her shoulder trying to comfort his partner as Romana patted his beak reassuring him that she was fine.

"Don't worry it's just a silly human thing," she murmured to Stratus, "I'm just thinking."

Stratus cawed gently to her as Romana smiled.

"Thank you," she murmured touched by her partner's gentleness.

She turned back to the skies and smiled sadly.

"I really wish you were all here," she whispered softly, "Father, mother... Chaz..."

Romana sighed wistfully and began reliving happier times with her family both human and saurian as Stratus watched over his partner a silent sentinel, warm and comforting.

_End of Flashback

* * *

_

"You do realise that this is a grave offence?" Mayor Waldo, the 207th mayor of Waterfall City, asked.

Oonu, leader of the Skybax Corps in Canyon City met the mayor's questioning gaze. Power and purpose practically radiated from the man. His gaze was firm and unyielding.

"I am well aware of that," he said shortly.

"And are you aware that your... antics may have started up a war?" Waldo persisted.

Several of the human and saurian members of the Dinotopian Senate squirmed uncomfortably with the word 'war'. Zippo seated in one of the wooden pews in the hall watched the exchange nervously noting everything down in a book he was holding in his hands.

"A 'war' was not started by any members of the Skybax Corps. The Matriarch and I have reason to believe that war was already in motion at the time of the attack."

"But nonetheless against the senate's will you trained riders in the art of combat!" one of the humans standing on the balcony overlooking the hall said.

"Yes, Steven is right. We banned you from training riders to fight and you deliberately ignored the will of the Senate!"

Strongbow, an elder Triceratops standing on the balcony, snorted and shook his head, stabbing the air with his horns for emphasis.

An anklyosaurus standing behind him waved his club-like tail around as it barked hoarsely.

"Both Strongbow and Redbeat agree," the Mayor said, "Do you deny that you trained Skybax riders in combat therefore leading to the injury of a young girl?"

"No, I do not," Oonu's strong voice resounded through the hall, "But I was only doing what was right for Dinotopia. The pterandons are not afraid of humans and will one day attack us."

"As long as Sentinels stand over the portal the pterandons would not attack us," the Mayor told him, "So I do not see why you had to train riders to fight."

Oonu knew the pterandons were no longer afraid of the sunstones but he couldn't say it here in front of the esteemed members of the Senate without facing a rebuttal of some sorts. Rosemary and that girl knew it as well. The pterandons would attack and the normal dive-and-swoop tactics would not drive them away.

The man known as Steven stood up.

"May I be given leave to speak?" he asked.

"I value your wise advice, Steven. Proceed."

Steven looked at Oonu.

"None of us here can deny that Oonu is not a good leader of the Skybax Corps but he had ignored the will of the Senate. This proves he is not reliable," Steven stopped, "In face of this I ask of him to step down. I call for a vote of no confidence."

Zippo gasped as the whole senate dissolved into confusion.

"SILENCE! SILENCE!" the Mayor yelled slamming his wooden hammer down, "I agree with you Steven. I call for a vote."

Oonu remained silent as the votes were tallied. It was unanimous.

"The Senate had decided. From this point on you're stripped of your position of Skybax Corps leader," Waldo told him, looking at him with sadness in his eyes, "A new leader will be selected soon."

Oonu looked at him evenly.

"I pity you," his strong voice echoed through the halls, "I pity you. I pray that you will live to regret your decision."

With that the ex-leader of the Skybax Corps turned around and marched out of the senate building leaving the leaders of Dinotopia to puzzle over his words.

* * *

Romana frowned. There was more... but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She closed her eyes and concentrated willing herself to remember. Then it hit her... the explosion.

* * *

_Flashback_

Romana sat still deep in thought. The sun was long gone leaving behind a kaleidoscope of colour in the sky. But even that had faded giving way to the black canopy of the night.

The silence was deafening. Stratus had long departed to rest for the night after much urging from her even so he had flew off reluctantly.

"I guess this is the final goodbye," Romana murmured softly, "Goodbye Chaz. Thank you for allowing me into your life. May you rest in peace and find happiness in the next life."

Feeling peaceful after uttering her final goodbye to her saurian friend she began to get up.

"BOOOOMMMM!  
The rock beneath her shook and trembled as she fell to her knees. Dust and debris shot up into the air and came down with terrifying force smashing the cliff faces and sending chips of rock flying into the air.

"CRRRRRRR..."

An ominous creak filled the air as Romana looked around desperately trying to find the source of the noise. She spotted it and gasped in shock, her mind working furiously trying to comprehend what she was seeing.

As the smoke cleared the sound of screeching pterandons echoed through the canyons. The Sentinels was enveloped in a giant ball of burning flames, it was as if something had ripped a giant chunk out of them. A single word came into her mind: explosives... her father had told her about them. He had said they were the most dangerous and destructive weapons man had ever created. Romana had never understood him until now.

She could only watch helpless as the top half of the statues balanced precariously on the bottom half. It was as if time had slowed, the statues teetered forwards inch-by-inch until gravity took hold and pulled. They collapsed falling into the deep gorges never to be seen again. A minute later the sound of rock hitting rock reached her ears. Then all was silent.

She stood there stunned. The sunstones were gone; they had fallen into the deep fissures where the pterandons roamed. It was like a nightmare. The barrier for Canyon City had fallen. The barrier holding back the pterandons had fallen.

Too late did she look up. Too late did she see a piece of smoking debris fall from the sky. Just before it slammed into her, she saw three pterandons flying away from the smoking ruins. With that her strength gave out and she knew no more.

Deep beneath the ledge on which Romana lay was a giant labyrinth of caves and crevasses. One could make their way into the World Beneath if they knew how. But nobody did except for one person...

The Master smirked as he viewed his underground kingdom. It was all his, this world of caves and darkness and how he hated it. He longed for the world above just as much as he loathed it.

He glanced at the pterandons lining the walls of the caves and smirked. Fools! If it came to it he would betray them without a qualm.

His eye was filled with malice and a deep hatred. His mouth was twisted into an unpleasant sneer.

The Master laughed with glee as the reports slowly drifted in. The Sentinels had fallen. The barriers had been removed. Slowly his plans were becoming reality. Finally he would have his revenge.

He chuckled to himself, his laughter bouncing off the rocky walls of the cavern as the pterandons turned their heads to look at him.

The Master knew the time was coming and soon, soon he would get his revenge. The thought pleased him and another fit of laughter burst from his lips as he stroked his wooden leg...

_End of Flashback

* * *

_

Mayor Waldo retired to his chambers as he once again reviewed the likely candidates for the position of the Skybax Corps leader.

He wondered if he did the right thing. None of the candidates had the drive or skill that Oonu had.

Waldo slowly lowered himself into a chair still clutching the sheaf of papers. But he had to choose soon. If he did not act fast the corps would be thrown into chaos.

He had already forbidden any messenger birds to be sent to Canyon City but it was only a matter of time before somebody find out.

Time was running out and he had to act fast.

The Senate had been in an uproar after he had fired Oonu. Many of the members had changed their minds and wanted him back. But some still stuck to their decision.

First he had to sort this little mess out and then he had to deal with the huge amount of paperwork still lying on his desk.

Sighing again he rubbed his temple feeling a headache coming on. He stared down at the papers he was holding and began to read them again.

A few minutes later a knock on his door snapped him out of his concentration.

"Come in," he called.

One of the workers within in palace opened the door. Waldo blinked in surprise seeing the parrot-like bird perched on the boy's shoulder.

"There's a message for you, sir."

Waldo nodded as the messenger bird opened its mouth and recited what had been told to it.

"A message from the Skybax Corps to the Mayor of Waterfall City," the bird fussily preened his rainbow-coloured feathers as he waited for the Mayor's reply, "Do you accept?"

Mayor Waldo nodded impatiently waiting for the bird's news. Surely the Corps had not heard about Oonu's dismissal already?

"The Sentinels have fallen. The sunstones are gone and the pterandons are uneasy," the bird recited.

The room was silent as Mayor Waldo stared at the bird in shock. The Sentinels? Fallen? Impossible.

He needed time to think. It took all of his self-control to keep up this façade. On the outside he was calm and composed on the inside he was dazed and shaken to the very core of his being.

"You are dismissed," Mayor Waldo said tightly.

"But the Corps asked for a repl..."

"LEAVE!"

The boy dashed out of the door as the messenger bird sniffed disdainfully and flew out the window muttering about rude humans.

Mayor Waldo was still in shock.

His logical self told him that the pterandons would remain peaceful but deep down inside he was afraid. Afraid for Dinotopia.

* * *


	19. Waiting

**Dinotopia **

**Revenge**

**Chapter 19: Waiting **

"Oh you'll love Waterfall City," Karl told her breezily, "It's a great place. Scenery, great food, what else could you ask for?"

"A T.V.," Cherry muttered.

"What's a T.V.?" Marion asked curiously, "Is that a weapon of some sort?"

Cherry hid a snigger as Karl attempted to explain to Marion what it was. But he only succeeded in confusing her even more. Luckily David came to the rescue.

"I sure Zippo would love to hear that," Marion said thoughtfully after David finished.

Songcall let out a low piercing whistle as Lief sighed in relief.

"Here we are. Waterfall City," he said wearily to his passengers.

Karl yawned as he got up and stretched.

"Finally," he muttered, "I thought we'll never get here."

David rolled his eyes as Lief unravelled the long rope ladder.

"It was fun having you all," he said cheerfully, "First time I got chased around by T-rexs."

"Glad you find it fun," Cherry muttered as she began the descent down, "Maybe next time I'll get Jaws to chase you around."

Karl hid a smirk but David ignored her as he made it to the bottom.

"And this my friend is Waterfall City," Karl said cheerfully as she reached the bottom.

Cherry looked around at all the flowing canals and exquisitely designed buildings. She took it all it listening to the distant rumble of the waterfalls.

"Wow."

* * *

"Legend has it that once the falls was silent but then the sabertooth tigers came to cliffs on which this city is built upon. It was said that their loud roaring caused the falls to likewise reply. And to this day their roars can still heard," Marion told her as they continued walking.  
"Umm... where exactly are we going?" Cherry asked absently her eyes moving around constantly as she tried to take in as much scenery as possible.

"The Senate Building," Marion smiled brightly at the thought of seeing her father again, "Where you will be properly introduced to Dinotopia."

David walked silently deep in thought as Karl struggled with a squirming 26.

"Does the Mayor know about the kidnapping?" David said suddenly.

Marion stopped walking. David, Karl and Cherry were almost about to walk off until they realised Marion wasn't with them. They turned around and looked at her expectantly waiting for an answer.

"No," Marion said shortly, "mother believes that father has enough to deal with without us adding more problems."

"I think your father should know especially since you and Samantha were both kidnapped," David pointed out.

Marion squirmed uncomfortably as her sister was brought up. Of all the things she wanted to talk about Samantha wasn't one of them. She shoved all thoughts about her sister into the back of her head and continued to talk.

"But it doesn't really matter does it? We were rescued. The threat is gone."

Cherry didn't agree.

"Yeah but that creepy guy is still somewhere out there," she argued.

Marion had no answers for her. They continued to walk to the Senate Building in silence still brooding over the events of the past few weeks.

* * *

He peered at him with predator eyes. He was not foolish. He knew that if need be he would kill all of them without a qualm.

Longwing looked away hurriedly as the Master glanced at him.

"Longwing, come," the Master said coldly.

Suppressing his hatred for this mockery of a man Longwing took to the air and landed gracefully on a rocky perch just in front of the Master.

"The time has come."

Longwing smirked, his body almost aching for a battle. He glanced at the giant pterandon army he had assembled and could not stop a smug smile from appearing on his beaked face.

Even as he looked at his army his demented mind slipped back into the past. Back to when all this started...

_Flashback_

The pterandon that would one day be Longwing had no name. He was an orphan abandoned by his kind on a rocky ledge to die even before he was born. From the very first day of his birth, he had known only pain and despair.

Humans. How he despised them. He hated them with hatred beyond imagination.

Sometimes he wished he could just lie down and die but there was a fire in him. He had to survive no matter the costs. But it wasn't easy.

"Oi! Here's your dinner Scumbeak!"

The whole bar exploded into nasty laughter as his 'owner' poured a foul mixture of fish heads and other unidentifiable remains into his cage. 'Scumbeak' squawked weakly and somehow managed to crawl over to the sticky mess. With another weak squawk he gulped it down hungrily.

"I don't know why you bother feeding him!" one of the regular patrons yelled.

A decent Dinotopian would have been disgusted if they entered the bar. It was a gathering place of the wretched and evil. Every singe country has its unfortunate share of thieves and murderers and sadly Dinotopia was no different. Dolphinbacks dissatisfied with the utopian society all came to this place, a place for them to plot and scheme towards a pointless end but perhaps that was the point of it, to dream and hope and to plot away. But nothing had ever come of it.

And Lee Crabb wasn't any different.

He was still on the run, long after his attempt at trying to leave Dinotopia. This only served to strengthen his hatred for all 'scalies'. Including a young abandoned pterandon.

Scumbeak had no idea how Lee had managed to get his hands on him. But from listening to snippets of conversation he guessed that somehow Lee won him in a bet.

"Eat up!" Lee laughed cruelly as he poured a mug of whatever alcoholic concoction he was swallowing over the hapless dinosaur.

Scumbeak screeched in shock as the alcohol sipped into his eyes and nostrils, blinding and choking him.

For as long as he could remember Lee had abused him. But unbeknownst to the human, Scumbeak was keeping track. Keeping track of every blow, every injustice, every foul word. He would remain silent enduring this man's cruelty. But inside he seethed and schemed. Waiting. Waiting for that perfect opportunity. And then he would strike like a serpent, swift and deadly. And then he would make sure that humans would suffer what he had to endure. Pain, despair and fear. Scumbeak chuckled cruelly and waited his cold predator eyes watching Lee's every move.

One day... one day in the distant future he would make sure that all humans would suffer. All humans were evil. They had to die.

_End of Flashback

* * *

_

With a final flourish of the quill Cherry became an official Dinotopian. The latest in a long, long list of Dolphinbacks. Bowing respectfully to the Mayor and the Senate she straightened and smiled happily as the building exploded in happy applause accompanied by the grunts and growls of the dinosaurs.

"Welcome Cherry to the wonderful utopia that is Dinotopia," the Mayor shook her hand warmly as the saurian members of the Senate added in their own congratulations.

"Yes, welcome," a handsome-looking man came forth and shook her hand firmly.

Cherry looked up at him and all the alarms in her head went off. There was a warm smile on his face but his blue eyes were as cold as ice. The only thing marring the handsomeness of his face was his nose, which was a dark red as though he had recently injured it somehow. Cherry listened with half an ear as he extended a polite comment; his tone was just a bit too friendly and sweet to be normal. Cherry had this sneaky suspicion that this man did not like her at all.

In fact, she thought with a flash of intuition, he doesn't seem to like anybody here.

He smiled at the Mayor but his smile was practically plastered onto his face. His blue eyes never stopped darting around as if he was looking for something.

Stop being paranoid, she chided herself, you're just overacting again.

Cherry returned his smile and knew her smile was just as fake as his.

* * *

How time flew. It only seemed like yesterday he was a frightened youngling in the clutches of a malicious and manipulative man. But no anymore, Longwing was now a feared fighter, feared because of his determination to win at all costs. Even if it meant cheating.

Fear, he found was a powerful persuader. If not fear for themselves then fear for a loved one. Love was a sign of weakness and Longwing wanted no part in it. It was almost sad; it was so easy to bend one's will when their loved ones were in danger. Longwing knew that very well. How else could he have built his army?

_Flashback_

It had been fifty long years. Fifty long years since Scumbeak now called Longwing had his first taste of victory. And how he loved it. The look on Lee's face when he realised that he was going to die. Longwing chuckled remembering that rush of adrenaline as his beak flashed down and ended the man's life.

It was him and only him that had pass through the barriers. Longwing still remembered that day clearly. There had been a flash of bright light... but that was all. There had been nothing to stop him from reaching the home of the pterandons but fear. Fear of the sunstones and Longwing had no fear. He had learnt that fear was a weapon. Someone would come along eventually and use it to hurt you. So slowly overtime Longwing had taught himself to fear nothing and no one.

He had learnt an important lesson. The sunstones weren't as powerful as he had thought. Any creature could pass through them if they learnt to overcome their fear. With that knowledge in mind Longwing began planning.

_End of Flashback

* * *

_

But all his plans had failed. He had gotten his first taste of what it was like to terrorize the humans a year ago. A year ago the sunstones have failed. How he had rejoiced when the pterandons took flight and attacked Waterfall City. But somehow the humans had gotten their hands on more sunstones. And the pterandons had been driven back. Not for long...

It had been a year ago since he had stumbled across the Master. Back then he had been little more than a half-crazed man more dead than alive. Longwing was about to kill him until he found out that the man had exactly the same plans he had. To destroy all humans in Dinotopia. From that point on the two had schemed together, planning, watching, waiting patiently for that day to come. Waiting for the day when all their plans would become reality.

And now that time was approaching.

Longwing smirked remembering how he had built his pterandon army. It had been hard at first. Most flocks ignored him, uninterested in his plans. Only a few had joined him at first. But it had been so easy when he had captured all the their younglings.

He kept them under guard threatening to kill them unless all the flocks had joined him. Slowly and reluctantly more and more flocks came under his command. More and more came until almost all pterandons were part of his army.

Longwing laughed cruelly as his demented mind calculated how long it would be until he would have his revenge on all humans.

Soon...

* * *

Cherry breathed a sigh of relief as they entered the library. She was glad to be out of the bustling streets and into the peace and tranquillity of the library. Plus she got to see Zippo again.

"Hi, Zippo!" she greeted cheerfully spotting the green stenonychosaurus.

Zippo turned around and his face lit up with happiness as he saw who was calling him.

"Marion! Cherry! How good to see you again!" he greeted, "David!"

Zippo's smile fell a little as he shifted his weight uncomfortably. Karl had disappeared with 26 saying that Zippo wouldn't appreciate having a noisy chasmosaurus around in the library.

"What is it Zippo?" Marion asked looking at her old friend worriedly.

Zippo glanced at David at again before he began to talk haltingly.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news but I'm afraid I have to tell you something you won't necessarily enjoy hearing..." the dinosaur began nervously.

"Zippo," Marion said reproachfully.

"Sorry," Zippo took a breath and began talking rapidly, "Oonu has been stripped of his leadership of the Skybax Corp for defying the Senator's by training Riders in the art of combat."

"WHAT?" David stared at Zippo in shock, "You're joking."

"No, no! I'm afraid it's quite true."

"Whoa! Wait a minute! You're telling me that Oonu has been fired because he's broken some stupid rule?"

"Yes."

Cherry opened her mouth to say something rude but Marion got in first.

"I'm sure there are some good reasons behind the Senate's doing," she said calmly, "I'll be sure to talk to father about it."

David and Cherry exchanged glances. Deep down Cherry was worried. The pterandons was on the verge of war and they have just fired the leader of the Skybax Corp? According to David the Skybax Corp was the only line of defence between pterandons and the rest of Dinotopia. No, they were the second line of defence. The sunstones were the first.

But she couldn't help wondering what would happen if the sunstones failed again. That didn't bear any thinking at all.

Cherry shivered and had the strangest feeling that something had happened to the sunstones.

She shoved her dark thoughts into the back of her head and hoped that the sunstones would hold the pterandons back.

They had to.

* * *


	20. Lessons

**Dinotopia**

**Revenge**

**Chapter 20: Lessons**

Cherry was unusually silent at the dinner table. Zippo looked up at her studying her with his intelligent eyes.

"Cherry, what's wrong?" he asked breaking the silence.

"Sharpbeak. I'm worried about him," Cherry confessed in a small voice.

Zippo smiled at her sympathetically.

"Don't worry, he is being well-treated. I'm sure he's perfectly fine."

Cherry scowled at the table.

"Then why can't I see him?" she demanded.

Zippo sighed and gave her a helpless shrug.

"The Senate doesn't want you to see him as of yet. They're currently asking him questions before the trial."

"That's the other thing!" Cherry suddenly exploded, "They shouldn't be putting him on trial!"

"Don't worry, the Senate is just and fair. No harm shall come to Sharpbeak," Zippo reassured him.

Cherry suddenly stood up and threw her fork down. She stalked out of the room and into the hallway. She stopped suddenly in front of one of the doors.

"Cherry are you sure you are alright about this?" Zippo asked worriedly.

"I'll be fine," Cherry told him with a small smile, touched by his concern, "Now goodnight."

With that Cherry stepped into her room and closed her door. Thankfully Zippo had been kind enough to let Cherry stay in his house. But Cherry felt there was an ulterior motive in him letting her stay. But it was much better than sleeping outside so Cherry tried not to dwell on it too much. She shrugged and got into bed.

"Goodnight," Zippo's voice was slightly muffled by the wooden door.

Just before she drifted off to sleep she could hear Zippo's footsteps as he walked away.

"Goodnight," she said sleepily.

With that she fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"No, Marion. I refuse to talk about it anymore!" the Mayor said firmly to his daughter.

"But father, was it wise to strip Oonu of his leadership?" Marion questioned her father, "Thank the code that the sunstones at Canyon City are holding the pterandons back. If it wasn't for them the pterandons would be attacking us right now."

The Mayor was silent as Marion stared at his father expectantly waiting for a reply. Suddenly it hit her. She stared at her father in shock as she attempted to make sense of what his silence meant.

"The sunstones... they're gone... aren't they?" she asked quietly.

Mayor Waldo sighed and rubbed his temple.

"I received a postal bird saying that the Sentinels have fallen. I have already dispatched a team of land riders to investigate," Waldo said shortly.

Marion gawked at her father not quite understanding.

"What do you mean fallen?"

"I do not know how and what exactly the cryptic message meant but hopefully the land riders can find out," the Mayor looked at his daughter worriedly, "Marion..."

"Yes father?"

"Please keep this to yourself. I do not want mass panic... especially at this time of the year."

Marion nodded and put down her fork. Suddenly she didn't have any appetite left.

* * *

"You know something don't you?'

Frank Scott looked at his younger son evenly.

"Even if I did know. You know very well I can't tell you."

David sighed in frustration, he knew that it was no point in trying to get it out of his father. His father had refused to tell him who would replace Oonu as the leader of the Skybax Corps and all the nagging in the world would only serve to make him even more stubborn.

Seeing his hesitation Frank changed the subject.

"So this girl, Cherry. Is that her name?"

David nodded.

"She escaped from the pterandons after they captured her?"

Another nod.

Frank frowned.

"But I thought the pterandons were meant to be peaceful."

"Yeah right," a sarcastic voice behind them muttered, "they were _really_ peaceful last year."

"Pterandons aren't evil Karl," David reminded him.

Karl snorted.

"Cherry wasn't so sure. She was pretty sure when she said their leader was evil and crazy."

"That's just one pterandon," his brother argued.

"He's their leader," Karl shot back, "with the whole flock under his control, it won't be long before the pterandons come knocking on our doors."

"The sunstones would stop them," David said confidently.

Frank flinched involuntarily at his son's comment. Karl and David noticed and stared at him strangely.

"The sunstones would stop them... right?" David asked.

Frank cleared his throat and announced he was going to bed. With that he walked off before Karl or David could protest. The two brothers stared at each other.

"What was that about?" Karl asked with an eyebrow raised.

"You don't think the sunstones are failing again?"

"Dad does know quite a bit about what goes on around in Dinotopia. I mean he does work for the Senate and all," Karl pointed out.

David shuddered remembering the sight of thousands of pterandon descending on Waterfall City.

"I'm sure they will fix the problems with the sunstones if there even is a problem," David said with a confidence he did not feel.

He didn't believe himself for a minute neither did Karl.

* * *

"Wake up, Cherry!" Zippo knocked on her door loudly.

Curled up in the soft comfortable bed, Cherry merely grunted and rolled over.

Zippo wasn't giving up.

"Cherry! You're late! School is starting soon!"

That got her awake.

"School!"

* * *

"I can't believe it," Cherry grumbled, "I'm supposed to be in this wonderful utopia and I've got to go to _school_. Sorry but my utopia doesn't include SCHOOL!"

"It's not that bad," Zippo told her as he walked along beside her, "Marion is the one teaching the classes."

"So what?" Cherry wanted to know, "I still have to go to school!"

Zippo smiled to himself remembering this was how Karl had reacted to the notion of going to school. He wondered if Cherry would threaten to walk out like Karl did numerous times before. He hoped not, one troublesome Outlander was enough to last him a lifetime.

"Ahhh... here it is. The Academy for Mammals," Zippo stopped and smiled brightly at Cherry, "Good. The class is just about to start. Go in! Go in! You don't want to keep them waiting."

Still muttering Cherry entered the building. Zippo smiled happily and headed back to the library. Do all Outlanders hate school? That would be an interesting thing to investigate. Zippo was oblivious to everything around him as he continued his train of thoughts. Maybe he could include it in his thesis...

The first thing Cherry noticed when she walked into the building was the relative silence of the building. The hallway was fairly dark but she could still see clearly ahead. Up ahead she could hear the low murmur of human voices.

"Cherry, you're here," Marion greeted her, "Good. We can start."

Cherry blinked in surprise as she saw the number of tiny children seated at the desks.

"This is it?" she asked not quite understanding, "I'm going to be surrounded by kids?"

Most Dinotopians would have asked her what kids meant but Marion was used to some of the Outside World lingo. She merely nodded and gestured for Cherry to take a seat.

"Don't worry. The term would past quickly," she told her attempting to comfort Cherry.

Cherry rolled her eyes and sat down pretending not to notice that all the children were staring at her.

"I would like to formally welcome you to the Academy," Marion began, "This term we will be learning about the codes of Dinotopia and also the Dinotopian lang..."

Cherry stopped paying attention soon after that and was more interested in listening to the distant rumble of the waterfalls outside.

"Cherry?"

Her head snapped up as she realised that everyone including Marion was looking straight at her. Shaking herself free from her daydreams, Cherry straightened in her seat, her patented 'I am so paying attention' look firmly in place, years of practice in high school making it seem perfectly natural.

"Yes?"

"We've just finished talking about the up-coming Springtime Festival," Marion said gently, bringing her up-to-date on what they've just been talking about, "Perhaps you would like to tell us some things about the outside world? The children are dying to find out."

Cherry glanced around the room as dozens of eager faces looked back at her expectantly.

"Oh god…"

* * *

"Disaster… a complete, complete disaster!"

Cherry sighed as she stroke Sharpbeak's beak gently.

"I swear, I don't care how many puppy dog faces I'm getting next time I'm never, ever going to explain Outland things to them again," Cherry pulled a face, "I tried to explain the oh-so simple concept of television to them and it ended well… disastrous."

_'Sounds traumatic,' _Sharpbeak added dryly.

Cherry glared at pterandon.

"You're mocking me," she scowled, "Thanks."

_'My pleasure.'_

The young auburn-haired teenager sighed before glancing around at her surroundings. The ever-present dull roar of the waterfalls outside permeated throughout the building, amplified by the high ceiling. She was sitting in Waterfall City's Skybax Corp roost, where Freefall was staying, perched on top of a straw-lined nest just several metres away. Shooting a friendly smile as David's Saurian life-partner, she turned her attention to the three of the other occupants inside the building. Trapped within wooden cages, Longwing's captured cronies glared at her, which Cherry returned with equal viciousness. She turned to Sharpbeak who was also in a cage.

"How're you holding up?"

_'Fine, I guess…'_ Sharpbeak sighed, _'I don't like cages or being held prisoner.' _

Cherry shuddered as she remembered her ordeal in the World Beneath.

"Me neither," she stroke his beak again, "Don't worry, you're trial is coming up pretty soon. We'll get you out of here in no time."

_'I hope.'_

"I know you will," Cherry sent him a last encouraging smile before standing up, "Sorry, but I've got homework to do."

_'Homework?'_

"Don't ask. See ya. Bye, Freefall."

The albino pterandon sent back his own goodbye as Cherry began to walk towards the door.

'Human!' 

She turned around and stared at the pterandon who has spoken, it was one of Longwing's cohorts.

_'Longwing will win,' _the pterandon snarled, _'He is strong and his army vast. Even your sunstones will be off no use.'_

"Right… whatever. In case you haven't noticed Longwing is delusional."

_'He will win.'_

Shaking her head, Cherry pushed the door open.

'HE WILL WIN!' 

Calmly, Cherry walked through the doorway and shut the door close behind her. Leaning against the polished wood surface, she closed her eyes and sighed.

"I know," she whispered, "He will win."

She straightened.

"But only for a while," she said softly to herself, "Sooner or later, someone's going to find a way to stop him. He may win the next few battles but…"

She began to walk away from the roost.

"… he will never win the war."

She stepped into the busy Waterfall City streets and walked away, a sick feeling in her stomach.

* * *


End file.
